UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15)

The COP15 conference was the fifteenth Conference of the Parties under the United Nations' Climate Change Convention. The conference was held from December 7 to 18, 2009 in Copenhagen.

Government representatives, politicians, non-governmental organizations, scientists, company representatives and consumers discussed the shape of future climate policies. The worldwide developments and new scientific insights in climate research have demonstrated an urgent need to replace the Kyoto Protocol with a new agreement on climate protection.

The expectations on the COP15 conference were high: a new agreement was to be reached and ratified that would enter into effect right after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. The agreement was supposed to aim at reducing green house gas emissions caused by human activities and be supported by as many countries as possible.

COP15 led to the Copenhagen Accord, a non-binding political declaration. The accord is based on the scientific position of the IPCC (Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change) and formulates the goal of limiting global warming to 2°C. Concrete goals to reduce greenhouse gases were not agreed, but it obliges all states party to the accord to report their specific reduction goals by 2010.

Above and beyond that, industrial nations were called upon to provide the means to support climate protection and mitigation measures in developing countries. The negotiations will continue in mid-2010 at a Conference of Ministers in Bonn and at the UN Climate Conference (COP16) in Mexico at the end of 2010.

The COP15 conference in Copenhagen aims to result in an ambitious global agreement incorporating all the countries of the world: the goal is to find an agreement that both reduces the total quantity of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and is supported by as many countries as possible.

Before COP15 had taken place, Deutsche Post DHL had already formulated four central political positions. The demands for a global framework for the pricing of CO₂, industry-driven standards for calculating CO₂, incentives for investing in green solutions and increased research and development of low-emission mobility remain current.

We need a political framework that supports the worldwide climate protection efforts in our industry and beyond.

Statement of Frank Appel, CEO Deutsche Post DHL

"As a globally acting and leading logistics company, Deutsche Post DHL believes in the need and opportunity of a low carbon economy. We are doing our part to make this happen. Our GoGreen climate protection program helps us to provide truly sustainable logistics services, for our customers and for the planet. With GoGreen we aim to improve our carbon efficiency by 30 % by the year 2020.
To encourage this we ask for:

• Adequate and global carbon pricing mechanisms
• Incentives for investments in carbon efficiency
• Research & development in low carbon mobility"

Why we are engaged

With its climate protection programme GoGreen, the first of its kind in the industry, Deutsche Post DHL has set itself ambitious targets.

By 2020 Deutsche Post DHL aims to improve the carbon efficiency of its own activities and those of its subcontractors by 30%. In other words, the carbon footprint per mail item, tonne of shipment or square meter of used space is to be cut by almost one third compared to 2007 levels.

Measures include optimizing the air and vehicle fleet, raising energy efficiency, developing innovative technologies, encouraging employees to reduce their carbon footprint, and getting customers and subcontractors on board.

As a leader in the development of sustainable logistics, our support for COP15 underscores our commitment to climate protection.

In 2009, DHL was the official logistics partner of the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. The cooperation encompassed carbon neutral dispatch services worldwide for delegates, participants and organizers before and during the conference.