DHL Supply Chain is tightening its climate commitments across Australia and New Zealand as the global logistics giant accelerates its shift to low-carbon fuels, electrified fleets and future-ready facilities.
Speaking at the Victorian Transport Association’s Alternative Fuel Summit last week, Bill Rolfe, Senior Vice President Transport ANZ at DHL Supply Chain, detailed the company’s deepening push to cut emissions in line with global science-based targets while ensuring the transition remains financially viable for customers and shareholders.
Rolfe said DHL’s longstanding ‘three bottom lines’ – Employer of Choice, Investment of Choice and Provider of Choice – have now been joined by a fourth pillar: Green Logistics Provider of Choice.
“All four need to work together,” he said. “Decarbonisation must be sustainable, commercially and operationally. We can’t go on this journey alone.”
DHL has aligned its decarbonisation roadmap with the Paris Agreement. Globally, the group must fall below 29 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
For the transport business, Rolfe said sustainable fuels will play a decisive role across air, ocean and road.
DHL’s aviation arm has already committed to more than 1 billion litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), including agreements with World Energy and Neste.
“BEVs will help, but we won’t get there on electrification alone,” he said. “Sustainable fuels are the unlocker across all modes.”
Although DHL Supply Chain accounts for just 6.0 per cent of the DHL Group’s emissions footprint, Rolfe said the division is responsible for major operational shifts in warehousing, transport and e-commerce fulfilment.
On the road, DHL aims to have 60 per cent of its pick-up and delivery fleet electric or electrified by 2030. The company is already a heavy user of renewable diesel (HVO) in Europe and is pushing for broader availability in Australia.
Rolfe also detailed the company’s global base-build standards, shaped by the World Green Building Council.
All new DHL facilities must now incorporate:
· rooftop solar capacity across the entire roof;
· EV charging for fleet and employees;
· advanced building automation and metering;
· high-efficiency HVAC, skylighting and LED systems;
· rainwater harvesting and biodiversity requirements; and
· battery-ready infrastructure where operationally viable.
A growing focus is underground conduit installation, which Rolfe called one of the most important cost-avoidance measures in the electrification era.
“Spend the extra $50,000 to $150,000 on conduit during construction,” he said. “It’s far cheaper than digging up the slab in ten years.”
DHL has deployed multiple AC and DC charging systems across its network and reports no safety or performance issues to date.
DHL’s AC chargers offer 17–22 hours for a full charge. DC chargers equate to between 2–4 hours.
Rolfe said DHL is still evaluating preferred charger vendors and is using the Orchestra Energy platform to model long-term load profiles, solar generation, battery economics and future fleet mixes out to year 20.
Avoiding over-investment in batteries is one of the strongest lessons so far.
“Batteries only make sense if your solar generation exceeds your midday usage and your fleet can charge overnight,” he said. “Over-capitalising is easy if you don’t line up operations with infrastructure.”
Rolfe acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding hydrogen, HVO and future BEV ranges but stressed that logistics operators cannot wait for perfect clarity.
“We still have unknowns, but we do know we have a responsibility to push the agenda,” he said.
“Future-proof your builds. Standardise your automation. Support your people as they shift to EVs. We all have a role.”
