Global transport and logistics provider DSV has partnered with Google Cloud to deploy sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) across a primary air freight shipping lane, establishing a pilot programme designed to serve as the foundation for broader supply chain decarbonisation.
The sustainable fuel utilised in the agreement is derived exclusively from waste and residue feedstocks—strictly excluding palm and palm-derived materials—and reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 85 per cent compared to conventional fossil jet fuel. With global SAF production volumes remaining constrained, commercial procurement commitments from corporate shippers and freight forwarders are intended to stimulate market demand and scale supply chain capacity.
To execute the pilot, DSV and Google Cloud are operating through a book-and-claim accounting methodology. This framework decouples the environmental attributes of the low-carbon fuel from its physical delivery point, enabling verified Scope 3 emissions reductions to be allocated directly to Google Cloud regardless of which specific aircraft physically consumes the fuel.
The fuel holds third-party certification under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) scheme. To guarantee accounting integrity and prevent double-counting, environmental attribute certificates are issued, transferred, and permanently retired via the independent Sustainable Aviation Fuel Certificate Registry (SAFc Registry), supported by DSV’s internal emissions tracking infrastructure.
Frank Sobotka, Chief Executive Officer of DSV’s Air & Sea Division, stated that corporate customers are increasingly seeking practical mechanisms to lower supply chain emissions, noting that integrating Google Cloud’s climate targets with DSV’s SAF programme translates decarbonisation commitments into measurable air freight reductions.
Brian Stewart, Senior Director of Logistics at Google Cloud, added that the partnership builds on ongoing initiatives to decarbonise global logistics operations, providing an auditable mechanism to mitigate air freight emissions while accelerating commercial demand for low-carbon aviation fuels.
