Tutu Akinkoye leads important sustainability initiatives at DHL

Colleagues are at the heart of DHL and excel in their daily roles to teach and live best practices.

Meet Tutu Akinkoye, GoGreen Lead for DHL Supply Chain, who supports DHL's Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) efforts.

Worldwide environmental protection program

GoGreen is a DHL worldwide environmental protection program which demonstrates the company's strong sense of environmental responsibility and commitment to supporting customers to grow sustainably. The program's main objective is to reduce and avoid the emission of greenhouse gasses and local air pollutants.

"We are a socially responsible business and an environmentally responsible business, and the governance aspect really feeds into everything that we do. It's about connecting people, it's about improving lives, it's about contributing to the community that is around us and making sure that we are acting in an environmentally responsible way. It's the core of what we do," explains Tutu.

Developing sustainable initiatives for DHL

When Tutu joined DHL, the company had just launched GoGreen. Tutu has enjoyed seeing it grow, while developing a number of sustainable initiatives.

These initiatives include installing LED lighting in warehouses, increasing energy efficiency in trucks and vehicles, and using alternatives fuels to power these vehicles.

Incorporating greener solutions into the supply chain

While sustainability has grown in global importance, this has also become a priority for DHL customers.

"Our customers are increasingly looking for greener solutions for them in the supply chain," explains Tutu.

Tutu cites examples of reporting carbon emissions, improving the supply chain within network optimization, and using alternative fuels to reduce carbon footprint.

Creating passion in DHL colleagues for sustainability

Finally, Tutu ensures that DHL colleagues are also involved in these sustainability efforts.

"Environmental sustainability isn't just about technologies. It's really important to make people the heart of becoming greener. It's ensuring that our colleagues feel a part of the program," says Tutu.

DHL colleagues can take part in Certified GoGreen Specialist training, which aims to train at least 80% of full-time employees by 2025 to be Certified GoGreen Specialists. This training is based on two modules: one that gives environmental awareness, and another that shows colleagues how they can support the company's sustainability efforts in their careers.

"Ultimately, it's about making passion or creating passion in our people, and making green routine," adds Tutu.