Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  October 13, 2023

DHL Group Adopts SAF Tracking Program

The DHL Group took part in a pilot program with its partners that enables credible and traceable transfer of sustainability benefits from the use of sustainable aviation fuel.

Neste, ISCC and the DHL Group tested a system through which airlines, logistics service providers and end customers such as companies can credibly report the emission reduction achieved by using SAF to lower their carbon footprint from air travel and ​transport. 

The three companies piloted the ISCC Credit Transfer System, developed by ISCC, a non-profit organization with a history in supply chain certification. In the ISCC Credit Transfer System, SAF use and related sustainability benefits, including GHG emission reductions, are tracked and transferred via a registry operated by ISCC. 

This newly developed system ensures companies purchasing SAF and airlines using the fuel are able to transparently claim emission reductions and use them toward their climate targets, while reducing the risk of incorrect sustainability claims and double counting of SAF volumes and their GHG emission reductions.

The system is designed to align closely with the requirements set by the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) aviation guidance for SAF use in addressing organizations’ value chain (Scope 3) emissions. 

As a producer of SAF, Neste tested the system with ISCC in cooperation with DHL Group, a logistics company, earlier this year. For DHL Group, SAF is one of the key levers to achieve its 2030 SBTi-approved decarbonization target and 2050 net-zero target. DHL aims for 30% SAF use by 2030. 

The system is now ready for public consultation and can afterwards be used by all companies including airlines, logistic service providers and corporate end-customers who plan to ensure credible and transparent reporting of emission reductions from the use of SAF. 

“At DHL Group, we are already using significant amounts of sustainable aviation fuel to replace kerosine. It is very important for us that there is a registry that ensures transparency and reliability of sustainability claims related to the use of SAF. A registry that regulates all necessary information from fuel suppliers as well as producers and provides traceability along the value chain is key for credible transactions and builds the basis for a trustworthy book and claim mechanism,” said Dr. Klaus Hufschlag, SVP Sustainability Reporting & Controlling, in a statement.

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