Better climate protection means departing from established ways to make room for new ideas. Individual companies can – and do – make a big contribution. But when business and policymakers work together, we can find innovative and lasting solutions much more quickly.
The development project for carbon-neutral delivery in Bonn is a good example. With support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Deutsche Post DHL and the RWTH Aachen University have united with other partners to turn a vision – the idea of carbon-neutral delivery – into reality.
In cooperation with RWTH Aachen University, Deutsche Post DHL has developed an electric vehicle that makes this dream come true: the StreetScooter. This new electric car – specifically designed for mail and parcel delivery – is being put into service in a three-year pilot project in Bonn. Together with RWTH Aachen and StreetScooter GmbH, we are proud to break new ground with this exciting project.
Though it is important, the StreetScooter is only one piece in a huge puzzle. In addition to steady investment in green technologies, Deutsche Post DHL is constantly expanding its range of GoGreen products and efficient logistics and shipping solutions for our customers. More and more people, whether as private or business customers, want to make an active contribution to climate protection.
We can do more
The carbon-neutral delivery pilot project in Bonn is an outstanding and encouraging example of cooperative action. But we are still far from our goal. Much more concerted action is needed from business, research and governments to make more rapid progress.
1. We need to establish consistent standards for the measurement and market-based pricing of emissions. There is no other way to effectively involve the entire value chain including all suppliers and subcontractors.
2. We need to invest much more in the development of marketable and efficient vehicle technologies, and promote them more publicly. Here the focus can no longer be limited almost entirely to private transport; business traffic needs to be considered to a much greater extent.
The development project for carbon-neutral delivery shows that it can be done.
3. It is high time to get rid of policies that hinder optimum capacity utilization. One-quarter of all truck movements in the EU are empty runs. That has to end.
A lot of hard work is already in progress, and we must not let up. Climate protection simply can’t be postponed.
For Deutsche Post DHL, one thing is clear: Logistics can and must make a contribution.