AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Logistics giant DHL Group is expanding its presence in the new energy sector, positioning the transition away from fossil fuels as both a strategic imperative and a major commercial opportunity, company executives said on Thursday.
Speaking at the DHL New Energy Conference, Group CEO Tobias Meyer said renewable energy has moved from a niche market to the dominant growth segment in global energy investment. "The energy transition is highly relevant to our own business, and it represents a significant growth opportunity," he said.
Meyer noted that investment in renewable energy has increasingly outpaced spending on fossil fuels over the past five years. Roughly two-thirds of all capital expenditure in energy generation and transmission is directed toward renewable energy projects.
Industry data appears to support DHL's assessment. According to Campbell Keir, president of the Energy Industries Council, a London-based trade association, the organization is currently tracking around 17,000 energy projects worldwide with a combined potential investment value of approximately 17 trillion U.S. dollars. Of those projects, about 43 percent are in established renewable energy sectors, including offshore wind, onshore wind, solar power, and hydropower.
Under its Strategy 2030 framework, DHL has developed logistics solutions across eight key new-energy segments, including wind power, solar energy, electric vehicles and batteries, battery energy storage systems, charging infrastructure, grid equipment, hydrogen and alternative fuels.
"The energy transition requires not only new technologies but also entirely new supply chains," said Martyn Lawns, CEO of DHL Industrial Projects and Senior Vice President of DHL Group's Growth for New Energy.
DHL said it reduced carbon emissions by approximately 2.1 million tonnes in 2025 through operational improvements. Sustainable fuels now account for around 20.5 percent of DHL's road transportation fuel consumption and approximately 10 percent of aviation fuel use within its own operations. Nearly half of its pickup-and-delivery fleet in Germany and the Netherlands is now electric.
Company executives said geopolitical developments are also reinforcing the importance of accelerating the transition toward renewable energy.
"The transition is also taking place against a complex geopolitical backdrop," Meyer said, citing increasing debt in the United States, high energy prices and regulatory challenges in Europe, along with intensifying competition in global manufacturing.
For Europe in particular, recent geopolitical developments have reinforced the importance of reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
According to Meyer, DHL generated approximately 600 million euros (694 million U.S. dollars) in revenue from its new energy activities last year and expects that figure to reach 3 billion euros (3.5 billion U.S. dollars) by 2030, representing annual growth of around 30 percent.
Despite strong growth prospects, company executives and industry experts also acknowledge significant challenges. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have disrupted traditional transportation routes and increased supply-chain complexity. Airspace restrictions, trade tensions and shifting geopolitical dynamics have forced companies to redesign logistics networks that had remained relatively stable for decades.
"The world has become more complex," Meyer said. "Yet customers still expect resilient, efficient and reliable supply chains."
Regulatory fragmentation, differences in storage facilities and transportation, and localized trade policies add further uncertainty. Tariffs, localization requirements and shifting industrial strategies can rapidly alter manufacturing and sourcing decisions, forcing supply chains to adapt.
"Over the past five or six years, it has often felt as though a major disruption occurred every six months," Lawns said. Enditem
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