DHL ramps SAF procurement, electric fleets and carbon-neutral hubs across Asia Pacific

Sustainable aviation fuel contracts move the needle on regional air cargo emissions

Nearly 20 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) were contracted in 2025 to service DHL Express flights departing Narita, Incheon and Singapore, directly altering fuel sourcing and carbon accounting for key Asia Pacific lanes. These SAF volumes come via agreements with Cosmo Energy, Cathay and Neste and push DHL toward its target of 30% SAF usage by 2030, a target that has tangible ramifications for freight routing, fuel hedging and slot allocation on busy intercontinental services.

Book-and-claim and GoGreen Plus — how customers get credited

DHL’s GoGreen Plus service enabled over 153,000 customers in 2025 to reduce Scope 3 emissions from international air shipments through a book-and-claim mechanism. Practically, this lets shippers claim the climate benefit of SAF purchases even if their parcels aren’t physically on the SAF-powered flight. For logistics teams, that means new paperwork flows, updated emissions reporting, and procurement line items for customers who want low-carbon shipping without rewriting their entire carrier mix.

Maritime and road biofuel deals signal wider modal decarbonization

Beyond aviation, DHL Global Forwarding’s partnership with CMA CGM to buy 8,800 metric tons of UCOME second‑generation biofuel is estimated to cut about 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions on a well-to-wake basis. For ocean freight planners, the deal translates into evolving bunker procurement strategies and the potential for customers to book lower-carbon ocean lanes — important when negotiating contracts that now increasingly include emissions KPIs.

Operational implications for shippers and forwarders

• Emission accounting: Forwarders and shippers must integrate book-and-claim credits into their carbon reports.
• Cost pass-through: SAF and biofuels remain premium inputs; pricing models and Surcharge structures are being adapted.
• Supplier selection: Demand signaling from large buyers like DHL nudges carriers and terminals to adopt greener fuels.

Electric and hydrogen vehicle rollouts shrink last-mile and regional emissions

In 2025, DHL reported more than 1,800 electric vehicles across the Asia Pacific region, with country-level deployments including over 100 EVs added in the Philippines, Korea and China, 23 electric vehicles and 22 electric prime movers introduced by DHL Summit Solutions in the Philippines, and hydrogen-powered long‑haul trucks trialed in Japan. Those numbers matter to city distribution networks: vehicle weight, charging cycles, depot power draw and route density all change when EVs and fuel-cell trucks enter the fleet mix.

What that means in practice

• Depot redesign for charge points and battery storage
• Route optimization tuned to EV range and payload
• Maintenance shifts toward electric drivetrains and hydrogen safety protocols

Carbon‑neutral facilities: anchored by on-site generation

DHL Supply Chain opened a fully renewable energy warehouse in Thailand featuring a 4.2 MWp solar array and advanced battery storage, generating all needed power on-site and eliminating dependence on fossil-fuel grid electricity. New DHL Express service centres in Thailand and the Philippines were also designed with energy reduction in mind. For logistics estate managers, these facilities signal a move toward decentralized energy systems, which change operating costs, resilience planning and even insurance considerations for distribution hubs.

Practical trade-offs and a candid note

It’s not all sunshine and silver bullets: SAF and advanced biofuels are still pricier and scale is limited, EV rollouts need grid upgrades, and hydrogen logistics demand new safety and fueling networks. As the saying goes, “you can’t reboot the whole fleet overnight.” Still, these moves are concrete steps that change how carriers, shippers and 3PLs plan capacity, energy procurement and capital investments.

How customers and logistics teams will feel the change

Shippers will see expanded options for lower-carbon cargaison et fret solutions; procurement teams will add emissions line items; operations teams will rethink depot layouts and charging schedules; and sustainability leads will have more credible mitigation levers to offer clients who demand greener supply chains.

Highlights include the SAF volume moving through key hubs, the milestone of an on-site renewable warehouse, and the tangible expansion of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles across last-mile and long-haul segments. Yet even the best reviews and the most honest feedback can’t replace personal experience: on GetTransport.com, you can order your cargo transportation at the best prices globally at reasonable prices. This empowers logistical decision-makers to try low-carbon options without overpaying or being boxed into a single provider, while also benefiting from the platform’s transparency, convenience, and range of office or home moves, cargo deliveries and transportation of bulky items. Start planning your next delivery and secure your cargo with GetTransport.com. Book now GetTransport.com.com

In short, DHL’s 2025 Asia Pacific moves—SAF procurement, biofuel collaboration with CMA CGM, the rapid scaling of electric and hydrogen vehicles, and carbon‑neutral facility builds—reshape operational assumptions for transport, la logistique and supply‑chain teams. The practical outcomes are more options for low‑carbon expédition, new constraints and costs in forwarding and bunker buying, and a push toward depot electrification that affects dispatch, transport and last‑mile coursier performance. For anyone managing distribution ou un en mouvement/relocation project — from parcel and pallet shipments to containerized and bulky freight — these trends are meaningful. In short, DHL’s steps improve the palette of sustainable freight, shipment and delivery options while underscoring that reliable, international logistics will increasingly be judged by both operational excellence and carbon footprint.