Multi-modal shipping bridges have been established between Singapore and North America and India and North America, cutting Scope 3 carbon emissions from airfreight.
Schneider Electric plans to open eight global multi-modal bridges with logistics partners to be deployed on demand.
The bridges, which combine air and sea transport, are estimated to reduce carbon emissions on the shipment lanes by up to 40% compared to normal air fulfilment.
The pilot started in March 2023 with both bridges being operated in partnership with DHL Global Forwarding and registering carbon emission reductions of up to 20%.
Airfreight is key to global supply chains but has much higher carbon emissions than sea freight and though SAF can reduce emissions, it is much more expensive than conventional jet fuel.
DHL says using more sea freight, which is cheaper, so savings can be used to purchase SAF to reduce carbon emissions.
The pilot schemes have allowed the partners to test multi-modal shipping and the model is enhanced by DHL Global Forwarding offering SAF via its GoGreen Plus service, which can generate up to 90% lower carbon emissions.
Thomas George, Chief Commercial Officer of DHL Global Forwarding, says, “Our partnership with Schneider Electric is instrumental in driving positive change and making sustainable logistics a reality. At DHL, we have set a goal to reduce GHG emissions to 29 million tonnes CO2e by 2030. To achieve this, we are investing €7 billion in clean operations, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to a greener future.”
Mourad Tamoud, EVP Global Supply Chain at Schneider Electric, adds, “At Schneider Electric, sustainability is at the core of our mission and it drives us to innovate for the future. We can't do this alone: partnerships with our supply chain ecosystem and strategic partners like DHL are essential. We hope others are inspired by these possibilities, so we can collectively reduce carbon emissions.”