There’s still some way to go in convincing all Aussies that plastic bags should be phased out according to a poll of DHL Australia customers on ‘going green’ which found that nearly one in five (18 per cent) did not support the phasing out of plastic bags in supermarkets by December 2008.
The poll, which was conducted last week as the company launched an industry first carbon neutral shipping service DHL GOGREEN EXPRESS, also found 100 per cent of respondents were concerned about the environment, 85 per cent have environmentally friendly policies in place, 94 per cent felt protecting the environment was very important both for business and individuals and 84 per cent believe that ‘going green’ helps companies attract and retain good people.
The most popular environmentally friendly initiative in practice in Australia is to recycle office supplies and paper (38 per cent), followed by switching off lights and turning down air conditioning (32 per cent) and adhering to environmentally management standards (22 per cent).
Only 8 per cent of Australian businesses offset their carbon emissions from producing or transporting goods. The DHL GOGREEN EXPRESS has been created to meet the demands of customers who are looking for a more environmentally-responsible shipping option.
A first in the logistics industry, DHL calculates the carbon emissions generated by transporting each specific customer shipment from the country of origin to destination, and offsets these emissions by reinvesting in certified carbon management programs such as alternative vehicle fuel technology, solar panels and reforestation projects.
The carbon management projects have been identified via DHL’s dedicated carbon management fund, with an aim to compensate the emissions generated when transporting customers’ shipments across the globe.
Customers can now choose to send all of their international shipments as part of DHL GOGREEN EXPRESS.
To ensure accountability and transparency, the program is annually verified by an independent certifying body — the Swiss-based Société Générale de Surveillance.
In addition, customers will each receive an annual certificate from DHL stating the total amount of CO2 which was offset on their behalf during the year.
The certificate serves as a useful environmental reporting tool for companies working to reduce their CO2 emissions created during transport.
DHL GOGREEN EXPRESS is part of the GOGREEN range of carbon-neutral and low-carbon shipping options already available to DHL customers in Europe.
The service was first launched in January 2007 at the World Economic Forum in Davos to help the Forum achieved its carbon neutral commitment.
In Asia Pacific, the service will be available in 17 countries across the region over the course of this year.
“Reducing our impact on the environment is a key priority for all businesses,” says Gary Edstein, Senior Vice President DHL Oceania.
“In addition to looking at how we can manage our own environmental footprint at DHL, we want to provide our customers with products and services that allow them address this issue.”
“A first-in-the-industry, DHL GOGREEN EXPRESS is an easy-to-use carbon neutral service that aims to directly address the very real challenges we face today with Climate Change.”
In other recent environmental sustainability initiatives in Asia Pacific, DHL has introduced bio-fuelled or hybrid vehicles in its various markets.
For example, in India, DHL Express is operating over 200 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles.
In Japan, DHL Express is actively encouraging “Green Logistics” through a combined use of hybrid vehicles, Fuel-Cell cars and bicycles in its operations network.
DHL’s freight forwarding business also achieved certification for Environmental Management System ISO14001:2004 across its entire operations in Asia Pacific, covering 188 locations across 15 countries.
This makes DHL Global Forwarding the first and only freight forwarder to achieve full umbrella certification for Environment Management System ISO14001: 2004 in Asia Pacific.