Logistics groups go green to add to net-zero goals, source: DHL Express

DHL Express on September 19 onboarded Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB) to its GoGreen Plus service to reduce carbon emissions for its time-definite international shipments through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

By investing in GoGreen Plus, it is estimated that ACB will be able to reduce 14 tonnes worth of total CO2 emissions within a 12-month period.

The entire process is verified annually by an independent third-party agency. In addition, a complementary carbon footprint report will be updated monthly, detailing ACB’s overall emissions with DHL Express.

Bernardo Bautista, general director and country manager for DHL Express Vietnam, said that the company believed that corporate social responsibility and business success go hand-in-hand.

“Global sustainability and environmental protection are important for all of us, including our customers. With SAF as our key lever to effectively reduce carbon emissions, DHL Express is proud to be the first global express courier to enable our customers to do so,” Bautista said.

DHL Group is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and is investing €7 billion ($7.45 billion) in carbon emissions reduction initiatives before 2030.

With approximately 90 per cent of its carbon footprint derived from the air network, viable and sustainable air transport solutions are important for creating cleaner and greener logistics operations.

Also on September 19, Frasers Property Vietnam (FPV) and GELEX Group jointly broke ground for the Industrial Centre YP2C in the northern province of Bac Ninh, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

The centre will be designed to meet LEED certification standards with strong sustainability and technology features aimed to support workplace productivity as well as the health and wellbeing of occupiers. These include the use of construction materials in the project which prioritise natural light, promoting energy efficiency, and the enhancement of building life-cycle impact reduction.

FPV takes a long-term view for its projects and has committed to green-certify its owned and asset-managed properties as part of its sustainability goals. Its Eco Logistics Centre, a ready-built warehouse development, recently obtained LEED certification, while Binh Duong Industrial Park, the company’s first industrial development in Vietnam, is also on track to receive certification.

Meanwhile, Tan Cang-Cat Lai in Ho Chi Minh City is the first port in Vietnam to be classified as green by the APEC Port Service Network Council. In order to reduce pollution and traffic congestion, 80 per cent of freight transport between the Cai Mep-Thi Vai seaport complex and the surrounding area with Saigon Newport is currently carried out by barges instead of trucks.

According to a report by the Vietnam Association of Logistics Services Enterprises, the industry has seen significant growth over the past 10 years, with an average annual growth rate of 14-16 per cent. The scale of the entire industry has reached $40-42 billion per cent per year.