DHL Thailand, Environment Ministry collaborate on reforestation project

Under the terms of the MoU, the three DHL business units in Thailand – DHL Express, DHL Supply Chain and DHL Global Forwarding – will work in close collaboration with the National Environment Fund under the supervision of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry on the reforestation project to conserve natural resources and the environment while promoting sustainable development.

In the first year of the agreement, DHL will receive plant seeds from the ministry, which will be grown and nurtured by DHL employees and eventually planted in Phetchaburi province during its annual Global Volunteer Day in September.

Yasmin Aladad Khan, senior vice president of DHL Express for Southeast and South Asia, said that as a company present in more than 220 countries and territories, DHL was committed to making a difference in the many communities in which it operates. "Through this partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, we look forward to making a bigger impact in Thailand through community and sustainability engagements."

This partnership is a part of a DHL corporate-responsibility initiative in Thailand called "Ton Kla" or "Young Plant". The programme aims to encourage voluntarism among its employees to contribute a positive impact to the Thai community.

Chananyarak Phetcharat, DHL Express managing director for Thailand and Indochina, said that since 2007, Deutsche Post DHL Group had avoided 19 million tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions and saved 6 billion euros (Bt225 billion) in fuel costs. That allowed it to uphold its responsibility to society and the environment, create added value for its customers and strengthen its own market position.

"All of us at DHL are passion-|ately committed to this GoGreen|initiative and pleased to have the opportunity to work with the Minis-try of Natural Resources and Environment to give back to the communities where we live and work."

By 2020, Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to improve its carbon-dioxide efficiency, including that of its subcontractors, by 30 per cent compared with the 2007 baseline. Last year, the group improved its carbon efficiency by 23 per cent compared with 2007, while DHL Thailand achieved a 36.2-per-cent improvement in carbon-dioxide efficiency in 2013.

DHL’s commitment to environment protection is a part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s corporate responsibility programme, "Living Responsibility", which is based on three pillars: environmental protection (GoGreen), disaster management (GoHelp) and championing education (GoTeach). Each year, the group mobilises its employees all over the world to participate in many diverse community projects through its Global Volunteer Day event.

Deutsche Post DHL Group has also been supporting the volunteer efforts of its employees through the "Living Responsibility Fund". Employees have been invited to apply to receive funding for their volunteer projects carried out with local partner organisations twice a year since 2010. Last year alone, the Living Responsibility Fund provided financial support to 93 projects involving more than 6,000 employees in 39 countries around the world.