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Environmental and climate protection at DACHSER

For DACHSER, as a logistics provider, contributing to environmental protection is a key challenge. Transport and warehousing remain energy-intensive, creating significant CO2 emissions. With global economic growth driving transport demand, logistics must minimize its climate impact through technical optimizations to align with sustainability goals.

Relying on “climate-neutral” certificates is not a viable long-term solution, as it fails to reduce emissions. Avoiding and reducing emissions is more effective, even though this approach is far more complex and difficult. Compensation projects are justified only after all technical reduction options are exhausted and must meet recognized quality standards.

Our areas of action

DACHSER focuses on four action areas to achieve significant progress in environmental and climate protection: Process efficiency, energy efficiency, research and innovation, and social commitment beyond the company.

Process efficiency

Process efficiency minimizes unnecessary transports and energy consumption through optimally planned goods and information flows, reducing greenhouse gas emissions for customers and service providers. DACHSER's efficient logistics network combines centralized and decentralized planning, modern facilities, IT systems, and skilled employees. Continuous improvements include AI, IoT applications, fully loaded trucks, mega trailers, long trucks, and the avoidance of empty kilometers, and multimodal transport in combined logistics.

Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency means using energy-saving solutions and low-emission technologies in terminals, warehouses, offices, and transport. DACHSER operates all logistics facilities using 100% green electricity and invests in PV installations. Efficiency measures include LED lighting, battery-powered forklifts, heat recovery, modern vehicles, and alternative drive systems. In defined city areas, emission-free deliveries by electric trucks or cargo bikes are standard. By 2025, DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery will cover 25 European cities.

Research & innovation

We drive emission-free logistics through research, innovation, and various partnerships. In particular, we are focusing on vehicles, fuels, and energies that meet EU standards, including battery electric (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEV) in short- and long distances. Beyond this, research and innovation in digitalization and AI-supported process optimization further reduce emissions. Here, the DACHSER Enterprise Lab, with Fraunhofer IML, develops innovations to make goods flow and processes more digital, efficient, and sustainable.

Corporate Citizen+

As part of its sustainability strategy, DACHSER supports social and climate action initiatives through its Corporate Citizen+ program in low- and middle-income countries. Since 2005, it has partnered with terre des hommes to improve education and living conditions for children. In 2023, DACHSER expanded its efforts by signing a partnership with myclimate and terre des hommes to implement need-based community projects with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting climate adaptation, and driveing sustainable change.

Our climate protection actions figures as of January 2025

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery Areas

16

Installed photovoltaic systems

29

Charging stations

715

Zero-emission vehicles

over 100

Green electricity in our branches

100%

Research and testing of e-mobility

at 3 sites

Details to our figures

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery is a modular concept where non-refrigerated goods in designated inner-city areas are transported with vehicles defined as zero-emission vehicles by the EU Commission. That is, a vehicle without an internal combustion engine, or with an internal combustion engine that emits less than 1 g CO₂/km, as determined in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 715/2007, or a vehicle with a powertrain that emits less than 1 g CO₂/km and that does not emit any pollutants. To meet local requirements and needs, DACHSER adapts the local vehicle fleet, which may consist of a combination of battery-electric vans and trucks as well as electrically assisted cargo bikes that are specially designed to carry groupage and palleted goods.

The concept, which started as an innovation project for zero-emissions groupage deliveries in central Stuttgart in 2018 and won a German federal award for sustainable urban logistics, has gradually expanded in Europe. By the end of 2025, the transport and logistics company will offer DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery in 25 major European city centers.

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery is already available in the following 16 European cities: Berlin, Cologne, Copenhagen, Dortmund, Freiburg, Hamburg, Madrid, Munich, Oslo, Paris, Porto, Prague, Stockholm, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, and Vienna. 

Green Electricity

DACHSER has been purchasing 100% green electricity for all branches since 2022. The origin of the electricity from renewable sources (e.g. wind or solar energy) is ensured via Guarantees of Origin. DACHSER receives a cancellation statement for each certificate, meaning that they are not traded.

By purchasing green electricity, DACHSER was able to save 54,709  tCO2e in 2023. This corresponds to the difference between the market-based GHG emissions and the location-based GHG emissions in Scope 2.

Photovoltaic systems

By the year 2025, DACHSER aims to have a total capacity of installed photovoltaic systems of 20,000 kWp. This supports the expansion of renewable energies and ensures our access to renewable and self-produced electricity at the branches. Currently, over 10,000 kWp of photovoltaic systems have already been installed.

Charging stations

Charging infrastructure is the foundation for a successful transformation to electromobility. For this reason, DACHSER is installing charging stations on its own premises worldwide. We are installing charging stations with a lower electrical power that are suitable for cars (AC charging stations), as well as charging stations with a higher electrical power, suitable for trucks (DC charging stations). Currently, more than 688 charging stations have been installed in total.

E-Mobility

As part of its climate protection strategy, DACHSER is preparing for a gradual switch to zero-emission vehicles. The number of battery-electric trucks is being continuously increased, depending on their performance, charging infrastructure and cost-effectiveness. In addition to battery-electric trucks, hydrogen trucks are also being tested.

A central component of the strategy is the early gathering of practical experience with zero-emission vehicles.
Battery-electric vehicles have been in use since 2018, initially for sustainable deliveries to city centers. Since then, the fleet has been continuously expanded with alternative drive systems, including in the long-distance range. At the e-mobility sites in Malsch near Karlsruhe, Hamburg and Freiburg, the interaction and use of zero-emission technologies and intelligent electricity and load management are being researched and tested.

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery

DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery is a key part of our long-term climate protection strategy. Join us on this journey towards a sustainable future!

Sustainable Fuel Services

As part of its climate protection strategy, Dachser offers its customers the opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short term by using advanced biofuels in accordance with the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED 2). The Sustainable Fuel Services is applicable for air and sea freight shipments as well as in European land transportation via the book & claim process. As a bridging technology, the limited quantities of biofuels available are a useful addition to zero-emission technologies such as battery and water fuel cell electric vehicles in land transport and e-fuels in international sea and air transport. 

The benefit:

  • Lifecycle Greenhouse gas emissions are avoided up to 75%
  • Investment in new innovative and sustainable technologies based on waste bio-feedstocks 
  • Applicable on every trade-lane and with flexible avoidance rates

Collaboration for sustainability and climate protection

Our commitment to greater sustainability is captured in the rankings on assessment platforms such as Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and EcoVadis.

EcoVadis rating platform

EcoVadis is an international assessment platform to determine sustainability along the whole supply chain. It covers four themes, Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. The assessment is carried out using a questionnaire and queries about the above themes. In 2024, we have successfully improved our score to 56 points which demonstrates our efforts in sustainability activities within the four themes.

Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) rating platform

The non-profit organization CDP assesses the activities of companies in the areas of Climate Change, Water Security and Forests. The CDP rating is considered the gold standard in environmental reporting in the global business world. Once a year, data and information on CO2 emissions, climate risks and reduction targets and strategies are collected from companies on a voluntary basis using a standardized questionnaire: In 2023, DACHSER received a Level B rating based on completing the Climate Change questionnaire. Level B, or Management Level, is awarded if coordinated measures on climate protection have been taken.

Smart Freight Center

Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is a global non-profit focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in freight transportation. 

DACHSER participates in the Clean Air Transport (CAT) and Clean Cargo (CCWG) working groups.

Fondation Development and Climate Alliance

The Alliance encourages companies, institutions, and individuals to promote climate projects and share their insights.

EcoTransIT

EcoTransIT World is the leading software for automatically calculating carbon emissions across global transport chains and modes.

The German Hydrogen Association (DWV)

The German Hydrogen Association (DWV) focuses on optimizing market, technological, and regulatory conditions for the hydrogen economy in plant construction, generation, transport, and application technologies.