Sustainability is a key focus

• DHL offers customers a comprehensive portfolio of green logistics solutions

Sustainability is becoming an issue that is impacting every industry sector, including the freight forwarding and courier industry where there is a growing focus on reducing carbon emissions.

Driven both by new regulations and consumer demands, logistics companies globally are facing pressure to create sustainable business practices. In the US, the Securities and Exchange Commission now requires that public companies include climate-related disclosures in their annual report. A Gartner survey of senior business leaders about their business priorities revealed that sustainability has become the fastest growing strategic business priority. This growing interest in improving sustainability is encouraging many businesses to re-examine their supply chains.

According to the Sustainable Freight Buyers Alliance, freight transport accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions with a predicted increase to 42% by 2050. The alliance says freight forwarders can support the transition to a more sustainable logistics industry by asking and opting for sustainable transport products that help to shift the dial and reduce emissions.

In a first for the express logistics industry, DHL Express recently announced the launch of GoGreen Plus, a new service that will allow customers to reduce the carbon emissions associated with their shipments through the use of sustainable aviation fuel.

Produced from waste oils, sustainable aviation fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emission by up to 80% over its life cycle compared with conventional jet fuel. GoGreen Plus is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group s sustainability goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and contributes to the group s interim target of using 30% sustainable aviation fuel for all air transport by 2030.

The company initially launched the service in the UK, followed shortly thereafter by

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Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Australia, SA and the United Arab Emirates. Customers based in these countries have the option to select GoGreen Plus when choosing their shipping service through MyDHL+, the company s online shipping and tracking platform. The service is designed to be fully flexible as it can be selected for individual shipments.

GoGreen Plus will become available to all DHL Express customers globally in the next few months, with customers having the option to tailor the CO2reduction they want to achieve and the amount of sustainable aviation fuel they use. Unlike offsetting initiatives, GoGreen Plus (insetting) reduces emissions within the logistics sector and can be used for DHL customers own voluntary emission reporting, explains Jed Michaletos, MD at

DHL Express South Africa. Insetting allows customers to bring down their Scope 3 emissions, the indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in a company s value chain, including downstream transportation and distribution.

Sustainability is a key focus for DHL Express, he says. We believe we have a responsibility to set an example and be leader in the area of sustainability. That means reducing our carbon footprint and setting high social and governance standards. Not only did DHL pioneer the first green logistics products but we were the first logistics company to commit to a zeroemissions target. DHL currently offers the most comprehensive portfolio of green logistics solutions in the industry to help our customers make their supply chains more sustainable and help them achieve their environmental targets.

Growth of e-commerce around the world benefits logistics providers

DSV s easy entry-to-market logistics services are helping reshape the retail environment.

Although e-commerce was growing at a steady rate preCovid-19, the pandemic served to disrupt the traditional retail market by driving consumers towards online retailers.

Logistics companies had to adapt to this new trend to meet both consumer and retailer needs at a time of disruption.

Johan Roos, senior information technology manager at DSV, says e-commerce s growth and future potential is being driven by consumer safety, accessibility and convenience needs. It s also broadening the retail space because it offers entrepreneurs exceptionally low barriers to entry.

A growing number of shopfront platforms are creating low barrier opportunities for entrepreneurs. This is especially powerful when coupled with end-to-end logistics solutions which offer order fulfilment and eliminate the need for retailers to own warehousing and delivery vehicles, he says. The latest NielsenIQ Barometer Study revealed that “far from the exception, online shopping has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life in SA: 53% of grocery purchasers bought groceries online in the past six months,