DHL launches 33-year plan to eliminate emissions

Mark your calendars: German transport and logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL Group has declared an all-out war on carbon and has set a deadline of 2050 for eliminating all logistics-related emissions. DHL also said it plans to expand its portfolio of green products and services to help customers achieve their own climate protection goals.

In a recent announcement, DHL said its zero-emissions goal applies both to its own activities and those of its transport subcontractors. It also laid out a series of interim goals to be achieved by 2025 as part of its environmental protection program, GoGreen. For instance, the company intends to increase its carbon efficiency by 50 percent compared with 2007 levels. It also aims to operate 70 percent of its first- and last-mile services with clean pickup and delivery solutions, like bicycles and electric vehicles. In addition, it plans to train and certify 80 percent of its employees as GoGreen specialists as well as collaborate with partners to plant 1 million trees each year.

Deutsche Post DHL Group's overall objective is to contribute meaningfully to achieving the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius established at the 2015 Paris climate conference (COP 21), as well as to the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Deutsche Post DHL Group CEO Frank Appel said in a statement.