Thermo Fisher Scientific and DHL Express collaborate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping for clinical research, advancing more sustainable solutions for life-changing medicines

The PPD clinical research business will use DHL Express’ GoGreen Plus service and invest in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a drop-in fuel that can be used in most conventional aircraft, to reduce emissions from air transportation.

Bonn, October 1, 2024 – DHL Express, the world’s leading international express delivery provider, and the PPD™ clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, have joined forces to drive more sustainable clinical research services for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The PPD clinical research business will use DHL Express’ GoGreen Plus service and invest in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a drop-in fuel that can be used in most conventional aircraft, to reduce emissions from air transportation. The collaboration enables the PPD clinical research business, and by extension, its customers, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with global clinical research air shipping logistics by up to 80% while maintaining rapid shipping timelines, sample chain of custody and quality. It reflects Thermo Fisher’s commitment to sustainability and enhances the PPD clinical research business’ leadership in environmental innovation, which also includes a variety of initiatives such as renewable energy for powering clinical trial sites and labs.

 “Collaboration is the foundation of a more sustainable future,” said Travis Cobb, Executive Vice President Global Network Operations & Aviation at DHL Express. “Both DHL and the PPD clinical research business share a strong commitment to carbon footprint reduction. We are pleased they can now offer their customers an emission-reduced global shipping solution. Efficient logistics isn’t just about moving goods – it’s about moving toward a sustainable future with every delivery we make.”

Thermo Fisher supports the urgent calls for action from scientists around the world to address climate change and has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This commitment, along with the company’s near-term climate targets, are aligned with the Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C trajectory and have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

“In clinical research, deliveries need to be made quickly, often overnight, which limits our options for reducing carbon emissions, since most packages must be air shipped,” said Leon Wyszkowski, President, Analytical Services, Clinical Research, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Given this constraint on changing transportation modes, our greatest short-term opportunity to reduce shipping emissions lies in using more sustainable fuels for air transport. By using SAF, we can immediately reduce our emissions from air shipments with DHL Express by up to 80%. Our collaboration with DHL Express demonstrates our commitment to enable our customers to advance clinical research quickly while mitigating the impact on the environment.”

Insetting through DHL GoGreen Plus enables customers to reduce their Scope 3 emissions − the indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated in a company’s value chain, including downstream transportation and distribution. In contrast to offsetting initiatives, DHL GoGreen Plus (insetting) reduces emissions within the logistics sector and can therefore be used by DHL customers for voluntary emissions reporting based on the “book and claim approach.”

Sustainable Aviation Fuel as an Integral Part of DHL’s GoGreen Plus Service
DHL offers customers the opportunity to reduce the emissions of their supply chain. DHL provides the GoGreen Plus service, which allows customers to decarbonize their transportation by choosing sustainable fuels and clean technologies for ocean freight, air freight and land transport.