DHL Global Forwarding has taken another step in its air freight decarbonisation strategy by signing a new emissions reduction rights agreement with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo. The deal deepens a partnership that began in 2022 and signals a shift from one-off sustainable fuel purchases toward a more structured, measurable framework for reducing aviation emissions. The agreement reflects growing pressure on logistics providers to demonstrate credible progress on Scope 3 emissions, particularly in air freight, which remains one of the most difficult segments of global transport to decarbonise.

The new work order covers 35,000 metric tonnes of well-to-wheel CO2 equivalent emission reduction rights. These rights are linked to the use of sustainable aviation fuel and represent verified emissions savings across the full fuel lifecycle, rather than only at the point of combustion. This builds on the companies’ earlier collaboration, under which DHL purchased 33 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel from Air France KLM Martinair Cargo. While that initial agreement focused on fuel volumes, the latest deal places greater emphasis on outcomes, verification, and scalability, marking a more mature approach to aviation decarbonisation. By shifting toward emissions reduction rights, DHL aims to secure predictable and auditable emissions savings that can be integrated into its broader climate accounting and sustainability reporting.

A key objective of the expanded partnership is to help establish standardised market mechanisms for sustainable aviation fuel. Both companies have highlighted the role of emissions reduction rights as a tool to bridge the gap between limited SAF supply and growing corporate demand for lower-carbon air transport. Air France KLM Martinair Cargo has positioned the agreement as part of a longer-term strategy to accelerate SAF adoption across the air freight sector. According to the company, close cooperation with large freight customers is essential to creating the demand certainty required for airlines and fuel producers to scale production. GertJan Roelands, Senior Vice President Commercial at Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, said the renewed collaboration demonstrates leadership and trust between the two organisations. He emphasised that sustained partnerships are critical to reducing the carbon footprint of air freight and delivering meaningful change across the value chain.

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For DHL, the agreement supports its wider ambition to increase sustainable aviation fuel usage to 30 percent by 2030. Air freight plays a central role in DHL Global Forwarding’s emissions profile, making SAF adoption one of the most impactful levers available to the business. The company has increasingly focused on mechanisms that allow emissions reductions to be quantified, verified, and reported with confidence. Emissions reduction rights are intended to provide that clarity, while also offering flexibility as SAF markets evolve across different regions. Henk Venema, Executive Vice President of Global Air Freight at DHL Global Forwarding, described the agreement as an example of collaborative decarbonisation in practice. He noted that predictability, scalability, and transparency are essential if sustainable aviation fuels are to move beyond pilot projects and deliver system-level impact.

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Beyond emissions volumes, the partnership places emphasis on digital verification processes. As regulators and customers demand higher levels of assurance around climate claims, airlines and logistics providers are under pressure to demonstrate that emissions reductions are real, additional, and traceable. By integrating emissions reduction rights with digital verification systems, DHL and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo are working toward a framework that could support broader industry adoption. Such approaches may become increasingly important as voluntary mechanisms intersect with future regulatory requirements for emissions disclosure and assurance.

The agreement highlights how decarbonisation in air freight is moving toward shared responsibility models, where airlines and customers jointly invest in lower-carbon solutions. Rather than relying solely on carbon offsetting, emissions reduction rights linked to SAF offer a pathway that aligns operational change with climate goals. If replicated at scale, similar frameworks could help unlock investment in SAF production, reduce cost volatility, and accelerate the transition of air freight toward lower-emissions operations. For the sector, the DHL and Air France KLM Cargo partnership offers a potential blueprint for how collaboration, standardisation, and transparency can turn ambition into measurable progress.

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