Sabah Tourism Board Partners DHL Express for Carbon Emissions Reduction via Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Sabah Tourism Board (STB)—a state government agency under the purview of the Sabah Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Environment—has announced a collaboration with DHL Express to become the latest member of the GoGreen Plus programme. The partnership enables STB to reduce the carbon emissions associated with its time- definite international shipments by up to 30 percent through sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) investments.

“In promoting the state as a premier travel destination, we recognise the impact that flights can have on the climate and our natural resources,” said Julinus Jeffery Jimit, Chief Executive Officer of STB. “While we seek to grow visitor numbers, we are also committed to conserving our green heritage and biodiversity that form the prime attraction. The partnership with DHL Express in transporting all our promotional materials to all tourism events overseas through the use of SAF is a crucial key in our net- zero initiative, and we are proud to help scale wider adoption.”

SAF is considered one of the most promising means of decarbonising the aviation industry. Made from alternative raw materials such as used cooking oil, waste, and hydrogen, SAF cuts around 80 percent of lifecycle GHG emissions from air transport compared to conventional jet fuel.

DHL’s GoGreen Plus stands as the sole service within the global express logistics sector that enables customers to leverage SAF in minimising carbon emissions in their supply chain. An independent auditor, Société Générale de Surveillance, verifies the greenhouse gas reductions to be counted towards the customers’ Scope 3.

The announcement builds upon a report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) urging further action on SAF, which is expected to fulfil the majority of CO2e abatements needed for the sector to achieve net-zero by 2050¹. STB’s subscription to GoGreen Plus applies across all international deliveries of promotional goods and exhibition materials to overseas tourism offices and tradeshows.

“Organisations that actively pursue SAF as a solution are helping to create demand and awareness around the fuel alternative. This in turn, paves the way for greater production, supply, and affordability. With SAF accounting for only less than one percent of aviation fuels consumed globally today² , we must accelerate efforts. We are delighted to work with the Sabah Tourism Board on this front as we jointly navigate towards our energy transition goals,” said Julian Neo, Managing Director of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei.

Launched in February 2023, GoGreen Plus is made possible through strategic collaborations with bp and Neste to procure up to 800 million litres of SAF as well as an agreement with World Energy to purchase up to 668 million litres of SAF via sustainable aviation certificates. The air freight network accounts for around70 percent of DHL Group’s carbon footprint, so sustainable air transportation solutions are crucial for emission reduced logistics.

¹ World Travel & Tourism Council. ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Opportunities and Implications for Tourism Destinations’

² International Energy Agency, 12 July 2023. ‘Tracking Clean Energy Progress 2023’