DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding have renewed their sustainability partnership with IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), securing an additional 60 million litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for 2024 and 2025. This contract is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 165,000 metric tons of CO2e.
The annual emissions reduction is equivalent to removing a Boeing 747-400 freighter from DHL’s UK-to-US intercontinental operations, making it the largest SAF agreement between an airline and a customer to date.
The SAF used in the collaboration is certified by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) and is derived from waste materials such as used cooking oil and food waste. It has been proven to achieve about 80% lower lifecycle emissions compared to conventional jet fuel. Most of the SAF will be delivered to London Heathrow.
“We strongly believe that collaboration is the foundation of a more sustainable future. Both DHL and IAG Cargo share a strong commitment to carbon footprint reduction. We are pleased that we can now mark another milestone on our journey towards more sustainable air freight,” said Travis Cobb, EVP Global Network Operations & Aviation at DHL Express.
“SAF in combination with our ‘book and claim’ approach is currently the most efficient and convenient method to reduce GHG emissions in air freight. This solution enables us to decrease GHG emissions at their source and allocate the reductions achieved to our customers through certificates. We are delighted that our longstanding partner, IAG Cargo, shares our commitment and supports us in our mission to deliver more sustainable transportation solutions to our customers,” said Max Sauberschwarz, Global Head of Air Freight at DHL Global Forwarding.
David Shepherd, Chief Executive Officer at IAG Cargo said, “This partnership with DHL is a testament to our shared commitment to decarbonising aviation. By utilising 60 million litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, we are not just reducing our carbon footprint by an estimated 165,000 metric ton of CO2e, we are demonstrating the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change. This reinforces IAG Cargo’s commitment to sustainable air freight solutions and brings us closer to achieving our Group goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.”
