1. Biz Network June 2021 1-38.qxp_Chamberlink 01/06/2021 08:57 Page 22
THE BIG INTERVIEW
Logistics industry is taking off in the East Midlands DHL has been at the forefront of the logistics boom created in and around East Midlands Airport, with its cargo operation having been at the site for almost four decades. With the region now one of the multinational firm’s most important strategic sites in Europe, Dan Robinson sits down with Peter Bardens, vice-president of UK hubs for DHL Express, to learn about its growth and what the future holds for both the company and the logistics industry.
SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability will be at the heart of DHL’s future vision, featuring plans for electric planes and vehicles. In March, parent company Deutsche Post DHL Group announced an “accelerated roadmap to decarbonisation”, pledging to invest 7bn euros in a goal to achieve climate-neutral logistics by 2030. Funds will be pumped into alternative aviation fuels, the expansion of electric vehicles and climate-neutral buildings. A third of its fuels are now sourced sustainably but it wants to increase this significantly. Peter says: “We’re always looking at the latest innovations around green technology for our industry, which includes things such as electric planes. “We’re working with manufacturers of our HGVs to look at the options available to reduce emissions, and we’re exploring how to use hydrogen-fuelled vehicles at Heathrow. We want to be a good corporate citizen and sustainability is central to this.”
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business network June 2021
Peter Bardens, vice-president of UK hubs for DHL Express
