April 16, 2008 - Deutsche Post World Net, the logistics division of DHL, is targeting a 30% reduction in carbon emissions for "every letter mailed, every container shipped, and every square foot of warehouse space used" by the year 2020.

The new GoGreen program was created in part to satisfy growing demand among climate-conscious corporate customers, according to Deutsche Post CEO Frank Appel. "GoGreen will help us be the obvious first choice for customers who seek climate-friendly logistics solutions," he says, noting that two-thirds of the company's 100 biggest customers are already pursuing their own climate protection goals.

To achieve its own emissions-reduction goal, Deutsche Post will gradually replace about 90% of its air fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft and expand its use of hybrid technology and route planning to reduce the fuel consumption of its ground fleet (read about DHL's truck redesign efforts here). In addition, the company is planning technology upgrades to improve energy efficiency at its sorting centers and warehouses.

Deutsche Post says its employees will also play a key role in the program. It has kicked off a climate awareness campaign to encourage employees to reduce their carbon footprint at work and at home through driver training and energy-saving classes.

Finally, Deutsche Post will work with its subcontractors to develop methods to track their emissions and identify opportunities for energy efficiency. The company's 30% emissions-reduction goal applies to subcontractors as well.

Deutsche Post is currently expanding its GoGreen shipping service, which allows customers to offset the carbon emissions produced when shipping their parcels and goods through internal and external climate-protection projects. The climate-neutral service, which has been available in Europe since 2006, will be extended to 17 countries in the Asia-Pacific region this year, Deutsche Post says.

In December, DHL was rated one of the world's greenest shippers by the nonprofit Climate Counts.