Corporate Responsibility Report 2010: Deutsche Post DHL achieves positive results

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Deutsche Post DHL, the world’s leading transport and logistics service provider, boosted its CO₂ efficiency further. This was published today in the company’s Corporate Responsibility Report 2010. According to the report the company improved its CO₂ efficiency by 12 points since 2007 on the basis of an initial value of 100. This overall improvement stands for the groups own emissions as well as emissions caused by sub-contractors. Focusing solely on the company’s own emissions, the improvement even accounts for 31 percent. With this result the company has taken a decisive step closer to realizing its goal to improve its overall CO₂ efficiency by 30 percent over the 2007 amount by the year 2020. A year ahead the deadline Deutsche Post DHL reached could reach its interim target- a CO₂-Efficiency improvement of its own activities of 10 percent by 2012.

“A commitment to the environment and society is an integral component of our company strategy. We take our responsibility seriously and invest in sustainability – for instance, in education and initiatives for the environment,” says Rainer Wend, Executive Vice President Corporate Public Policy and Responsibility. “If you want to remain a viable global player for the future, you also have to be a part of the solution to society’s problems.”

The increase in the CO₂ efficiency index can be attributed mainly to efforts to lower CO₂ in buildings and the vehicle fleet as well as the use of state-of-the-art aircraft for intercontinental flights and investments in new technologies. These actions can be seen in the roughly 3,000 vehicles on the roads today that have hybrid or electric motors or that have received electronic or aerodynamic improvements. This includes for example the first 18-ton hybrid truck and the “green” fleet of 80 hybrid and electric vehicles for delivery in Manhattan/New York.

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1.7 billion green shipments

In the past year the number of GOGREEN shipments rose to more than 1.7 billion worldwide – almost one billion more than in the previous year. Thus the company could offset around 82,000 tons of CO₂ in external climate protection projects. GOGREEN products were further expanded to include the logistics divisions: With its multimodal transport solutions, for instance, DHL Global Forwarding offers the most comprehensive package in the industry for intermodal transport of freight shipments. The combined-transport approach by air, street, rail and water enables customers to cut CO₂ emissions by as much as 40 percent. To continue support of this positive trend, Deutsche Post DHL is planning to offer more environmentally friendly services in the future and will transport all private customer parcels without additional charges for the sender in Germany with the GOGREEN service starting in July 2011.

GoHelp, GoTeach

In addition to its environmental activities, the Group has also made particularly positive progress in other areas of its sustainability strategy. As part of the GoHelp program DHL Disaster Response Teams provided assistance in disaster hit areas in Haiti, Chile, Guatemala and Pakistan last year. Over 100 volunteers were deployed for 83 days and handled 7,000 tons of goods. As part of its educational initiative GoTeach, the Group also extended its international partnerships, including with the nonprofit organization Teach for All in the area of educational equality. Here, Deutsche Post DHL supports expanding local Teach For All organizations in Argentina, Chile, Peru, India and Germany as well as setting up new organizations in Spain and Brazil. Last year, a partnership was established with SOS Children’s Villages, which provides career-entry support to young people, to begin four pilot projects in Brazil, South Africa, Madagascar and Vietnam.

Diverse recognition of sustainable engagement

Last year, Deutsche Post DHL was listed in various recognized international indices, including the Carbon Disclosure and Carbon Performance Leadership Index of the Carbon Disclosure Project. In addition, the Group is once again part of the FTSE4Good and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The company was also recognized for its corporate health-promotion projects with the Corporate Health Award. The award is given each year by Handelsblatt, TÜV SÜD Life Service and EuPD Research under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit (INQA) and highlights the significance of the broad health management at Deutsche Post DHL for several years.