We have expanded the list of climate policies we assess company engagement with to incorporate land-use related policy, referring to legislative or regulatory measures to enhance and protect ecosystems and land where carbon is being stored. Assessments under this category are currently underweighted in terms of their contribution to the overall company metrics. This weighting will be progressively increased over the next 6 months.
We adjusted the terminology used to describe the queries running down the left-hand side of our scoring matrix and added additional explanatory text to the info-boxes. This has no impact on the scores and methodology. It has been done following user feedback to improve clarity.
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO Frank Appel is a Presidential Board Member of BDI. Stefanie Erdmann, Senior Public Policy Manager at Deutsche Post DHL Group, is Chairman of the Working Group on Mobility and Logistics (correct as of January 2023)
Frank Appel
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InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
CEO Frank Appel is a Presidential Board Member of BDI. Stefanie Erdmann, Senior Public Policy Manager at Deutsche Post DHL Group, is Chairman of the Working Group on Mobility and Logistics (correct as of January 2023)
Frank Appel
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A subsidiary (DHL Air) of Deutsche Post is a direct member of IATA (Up to date as of November 2022)
not specified
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InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Major subsidiary (DHL) of Deutsche Post is a direct member of IATA
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
A subsidiary (DHL Air) of Deutsche Post is a direct member of IATA (Up to date as of November 2022)
not specified
--no extract--
InfluenceMap Data Point on Corporate - Influencer Relationship
(1 = weak, 10 = strong)
Major subsidiary (DHL) of Deutsche Post is a direct member of IATA
In this section, we depict graphically the relationships the corporation has with trade associations, federations, advocacy groups and other third parties who may be acting on their behalf to influence climate change policy. Each of the columns above represents one relationship the corporation appears to have with such a third party. In these columns, the top, dark section represents the strength of the relationship the corporation has with the influencer. For example if a corporation's senior executive also held a key role in the trade association, we would deem this to be a strong relationship and it would be on the far left of the chart above, with the weaker ones to the right. Click on these grey shaded upper sections for details of these relationships. The middle section contains a link to the organization score details of the influencer concerned, so you can see the details of its climate change policy influence. Click on the middle sections for for details of the trade associations. The lower section contains the organization score of that influencer, the lower the more negatively it is influencing climate policy.
Open PDF file of Data Source
Climate Lobbying Overview: In 2020-22, Deutsche Post DHL Group appears to have mixed, but mostly positive engagement on climate change policy, communicating support for a 1.5C global warming target, ambitious EU CO2 standards for cars and vans, an EU SAF blending mandate and the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies. However, Deutsche Post DHL also appeared to advocate against EU fuel taxes for aviation and shipping and reforms to increase the ambition of the EU ETS for aviation.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Deutsche Post DHL has positive top-line messaging on climate change in 2020-22. A joint letter signed by CEO, Frank Appel, in June 2021 states support for a 1.5°C global warming target and achieving global net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Moreover, the same letter supports more ambitious “1.5C-aligned” nationally determined contributions to be submitted at COP26 by states to “halve emissions by 2030”. Similarly, a November 2022 joint letter, also signed by CEO Frank Appel, supported GHG emissions reductions in line with a 1.5 degree pathway, ambitious market-based mechanisms and “ambitious and Paris Agreement-aligned nationally determined contributions” ahead of COP27. CEO Frank Appel also signed a September 2020 joint letter which communicated support for “policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Deutsche Post DHL has mixed engagement with climate regulations. In multiple 2020-21 EU consultation responses, Deutsche Post DHL appeared to advocate against reducing free allowances for aviation in the EU ETS. Moreover, a 2021 EU consultation response appeared to prioritize replacing the full inclusion of intra-EU aviation emissions in the EU ETS with the less stringent CORSIA offsetting scheme. In contrast, a February 2021 EU consultation response appeared supportive of the extension of the EU ETS to road transport, buildings and maritime for intra-EU voyages.
A February 2021 consultation response stated support for zero-emissions EU CO2 standards for vans and cars by 2035. A September 2021 joint letter advocated for ambitious US light-duty GHG emissions standards. Moreover, a joint 2020 letter signed by CEO, Frank Appel, stated support for an EU GHG emissions reduction target of 55% by 2030 and in April 2021 Deutsche Post also signed a joint letter stating support for a US GHG emissions target of 50% by 2030. In a September 2020 EU consultation response on FuelEU Maritime, Deutsche Post DHL also supported carbon intensity targets, but only for intra-EU voyages.
In October 2020, as part of the Clean Skies for Tomorrow initiative, Deutsche Post DHL appeared to endorse an EU sustainable aviation fuels blending mandate. In February 2022, Deutsche Post DHL also signed a joint statement supporting the EU's proposed SAF mandate, and advocating for more ambition in the "scale and timing" of its sub-targets for e-kerosene. Similarly, in a May 2021 joint letter, Deutsche Post DHL supported a US SAF-specific blenders tax credit.
Regarding other climate policies, Deutsche Post DHL’s 2021 CDP response discloses support for a German carbon tax with multiple exceptions, including that a carbon price over a tax is used and that a tax is coordinated internationally to address competitiveness concerns. A DHL ‘Delivered’ paper, accessed in November 2022, appeared to express support for a low-carbon modal shift to rail for freight transport, stating the transition is “crucial to reducing the transportation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions”. In a June 2021 consultation response to the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, Deutsche Post DHL appeared to support binding national targets on energy efficiency and a higher EU-level energy efficiency target. A June 2020 consultation response similarly supported mandatory minimum energy performance targets for buildings and the installation of EV charging points under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Positioning on Energy Transition: In 2020-22, Deutsche Post DHL appears to have mixed positioning regarding the energy transition. In numerous DHL ‘Delivered’ papers, accessed in November 2022, Deutsche Post subsidiary DHL communicated general support for the electrification of road transport, and the decarbonization of aviation through sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen and electrification. Furthermore, a joint letter signed by CEO, Frank Appel, in June 2021, communicated support for the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and a global coal phase-out. A November 2022 joint letter, also signed by CEO Frank Appel, similarly stated support for the removal of fossil fuel subsidies. However, a 2020 EU consultation response from Deutsche Post DHL opposed the introduction of fuel taxes for aviation and shipping, and another 2021 EU consultation response similarly stated opposition to a fuel tax for aviation.
Industry Association Governance: Deutsche Post DHL has publicly disclosed its membership of some trade associations on its website, without providing further details on the company’s role within each association or its influence over their climate positions. It has not published a review of its alignment with its industry associations. DHL Air, a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which have negative climate policy engagement with global regulations for aviation. Additionally, a Senior Executive at Deutsche Post DHL Group is the Chairman of a Working Group at the Federation of German Industries (BDI) which is negatively engaged with EU climate policy.