Sustainable Procurement

We are looking to join forces with like minded suppliers who will support our sustainability commitments and help us to build resilient and sustainable supply chains.

The goods and services we source are crucial to ensuring we can fulfil our purpose “Connecting people, improving lives.” This guides our efforts and sense of responsibility, underscores our values, focuses our mission, and creates long-term value. Fulfilling our purpose requires us to make every dimension of our business sustainable.

To get there, we are following a clear strategy – a roadmap to sustainability that keeps our eyes on the three ESG key commitments: environmental protection, social responsibility and good governance.

Environmental protection

Clean operations for climate protection

As the world’s leading logistics company, we have a responsibility to set an example in our industry and be a sustainable leader. Therefore, we have set ourselves a target of reducing our emissions to below 29 million tonnes of CO2e by the year 2030. This target also includes the transport services carried out by our subcontractors (Scope 3). It was developed based on the requirements of the Science Based Targets Initiative and supports global efforts to limit global warming in accordance with the Paris Agreement of the United Nations.

To make this a reality we are investing into sustainable fuels, the expansion of road fleet electrification in pick up and delivery and climate-neutral design of new buildings.

To succeed we need to partner with suppliers who can support us on our journey. Find out more

Circular economy

Reduce

Make fewer new products and using less raw and virgin material in manufacturing

Repair

Fix a malfunction or damage

Resell

Sell products that are still functional but no longer wanted or needed

Refurbish

Deliver an older functional product back to the manufacturer or a service provider for checking, cleaning and return to its original state

Recycle

Extract value from end-of-life products

DHL scope definitions will change the way how procurement is buying assets in the future.

In a shift away from the old mantra of “reduce, reuse, recycle”, circular economy demands a new paradigm of five Rs: reduce, repair, resell, refurbish and recycle.

The new way of buying goods & assets in the future requires innovative providers that are capable to offer solutions for all Circular Economy definitions as well as waterproof contracts covering all different Circular Economy aspects.

Think you can help us?

Do you have a unique idea, an innovative product or a groundbreaking solution that can support our sustainability roadmap and/or our purpose “Connecting people, improving lives”?

Visit our trailblazer platform

Social responsibility

Great company to work for all

As a company powered by people, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) is a topic that goes to the heart of everything we do at DHL Group. By actively embracing DEIB, we develop the best workforce, drive innovation and enable our people so that everyone can make a difference with their contributions. This is crucial to the strength of our business and the vitality of the communities we serve. A diversified pool of suppliers can offer more innovative and agile procurement solutions, generating value for our company and our customers, while at the same time strengthening our supply chain.

More about our Supplier Diversity Program

To support us on our journey we are proud members of:

Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council

CAMSC facilitates the growth of Aboriginal and minority owned businesses, by connecting them to procurement opportunities with companies and governments committed to a diverse and inclusive supply chain.

Visite website

Business disability inclusion worldwide

Disability:IN is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. Its network of over 500 corporations expands opportunities for people with disabilities across enterprises.

Visite website

National Minority Supplier Development Council

At the NMSDC, it’s about upward mobility for the emerging majority of Americans, an equal shot for minority business enterprises (MBEs) at participating in the American experiment of free-market capitalism and entrepreneurship.

Visite website

Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

WBENC is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive.nt.

Visite website

Connecting women-owned businesses to qualified buyers

WEConnect International is a global network that connects women-owned businesses to qualified buyers around the world.

Visite website

Minority Supplier Development UK

MSDUK brings together innovative and high-growth non-white ethnic minority businesses with global corporations committed to creating inclusive and diverse supply chains.

Visite website

Good governance

Highly trusted company

As a highly trusted company, we need to ensure trusted, transparent and compliant business practices towards our suppliers whilst continuously building a sustainable and resilient supplier base. Further to this we plan to have a stronger focus on supplier risk management also through structured due diligence processes and audits towards our suppliers to whom we ask to share our commitment to sustainability.

With our Supplier Code of Conduct (SCoC) which is available in more than 40 languages we implement our ESG values in our supplier base complementing DHL Group’s Code of Conduct and Human Rights Policy Statement.

To support us on our journey in developing a sustainable and resilient supplier we have partnered with other companies to make a positive impact in people's lives through joint efforts and leadership in responsible sourcing.

The SCoC contains mandatory standards for suppliers who have a business relationship with DHL Group in the areas of Human Rights and Fair Labor Practices, Health & Safety, Data Protection, Anti-Bribery and Anti- Corruption, Environment, Business Continuity Planning and makes reference to:

The principles of the United Nations Global Compact
The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
The 1998 International Labour Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
UN Sustainable Development Goals

Our suppliers need to fully comply with applicable laws and to adher to international recognized environmental, social and corporate governance standards (ESG Standards) and implement equivalent standards in their supply chain as well.

To certify their commitment, suppliers are asked to take the SCoC training and upload their certificate into the supplier management software suite.

Two key figures are monitored in regards to standards in the supply chain:

>€35 billion

supplier spend covered by an accepted Supplier Code of Conduct

>4,000

potential high risk suppliers assessed

^{These figures relate to 2023.}

With our ESG Roadmap we have clearly defined ESG targets and measurable KPIs which have been integrated into our company reporting. In addition, ESG targets were fully integrated into Board of Management remuneration (30% ESG targets, 70% financial targets).

More about the Supplier Code of Conduct