DHL Group has entered 2026 with a major acceleration in its global decarbonisation program, rolling out large-scale investments across air, sea, road and logistics infrastructure as it works toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
During 2025, the logistics group expanded several of the core levers in its sustainability strategy, including sustainable aviation fuel, low-carbon marine transport, zero-emission last-mile delivery and renewable-powered warehousing. Together, the projects mark a shift from pilot programs to industrial-scale deployment across DHL’s global network.
One of the largest steps came in air freight, where DHL signed one of the biggest sustainable aviation fuel agreements in the United States. Under a three-year deal with Phillips 66, the company will purchase more than 240,000 metric tonnes of SAF, equivalent to around 314 million litres, primarily to supply its West Coast air network. The agreement is expected to cut lifecycle carbon emissions by approximately 737,000 metric tonnes of CO₂e.
In ocean freight, DHL partnered with CMA CGM to purchase 8,800 metric tonnes of second-generation biofuel made from used cooking oil, enabling an estimated reduction of 25,000 metric tonnes of CO₂e on a well-to-wake basis. The initiative supports lower-carbon shipping across key global trade routes.
On land, DHL continued expanding zero-emission transport. In Germany, the company added 2,400 new electric delivery vans to its Post and Parcel fleet, bringing its total electric vehicles to more than 35,000. The expansion means around one-third of German postcodes now receive zero-emission last-mile deliveries.
DHL also pushed into next-generation hydrogen transport, signing an agreement in Saudi Arabia to pilot hydrogen-powered trucks as part of a wider feasibility study for regional hydrogen infrastructure.
Beyond vehicles, DHL is also investing in renewable-powered logistics infrastructure. In Thailand, the company launched a solar-powered distribution centre designed to generate 100 per cent of its energy on-site through a 4.2 MWp solar array and battery storage, providing a template for future low-carbon logistics facilities worldwide.
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
