MUMBAI: In a move that combines speed with sustainability, DHL Express and Sai Life Sciences have teamed up to slash carbon emissions from international pharma deliveries. Announced on 22 April 2025, the partnership sees Sai Life Sciences adopt DHL’s GoGreen Plus service to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 per cent through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Sai Life Sciences, a contract research, development and manufacturing organisation (CRDMO) listed on BSE and NSE, serves over 300 global pharmaceutical and biotech firms. With operations spread across the US, Europe, and Japan, the company depends on precise, time-bound deliveries — now to be powered more responsibly.

DHL Express SVP – south Asia, R.S. Subramanian stated, "Addressing Scope 3 emissions is critical to DHL for achieving the commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050. GoGreen Plus is a pioneering service that helps our customers address Scope 3 carbon emissions of their critical shipments to global destinations. The Life sciences and healthcare sector is a focus area for growth outlined in our Strategy 2030 and GoGreen Plus is very relevant to key players here who have a committed road map on carbon footprint reduction. We are incredibly proud to have Sai Life Sciences join us on our mission to reduce Scope 3 emissions with GoGreen Plus - the most technically viable option currently available."

Sai Life Sciences CFO Sivaramakrishnan Chittor added, "Sustainability is a priority woven into every part of our business — including logistics. With a global supplier network and customer base across the US, Europe, and Japan, time-sensitive deliveries are essential to our operations. Our partnership with DHL reflects a shared commitment to reducing environmental impact while maintaining the reliability and precision that our customers depend on. It’s one more way we’re integrating sustainability into how we work — with intent and consistency — to make it better together."

The GoGreen Plus service operates on an insetting model, reducing emissions within the logistics value chain, as opposed to offsetting. DHL’s SAF is sourced via partnerships with bp, Neste, Cosmo Oil Marketing, and World Energy, using feedstocks such as used cooking oil. In 2024, 3.5 per cent of the fuel used in DHL Group’s own fleet was SAF, despite supply constraints.

Sai Life Sciences will implement the GoGreen Plus programme across its key international shipping routes, aligning with its ESG roadmap. DHL has also committed to investing €2 billion over the next five years to expand pharma logistics infrastructure, including GDP-certified hubs and temperature-controlled solutions.

With ambitions to reduce absolute GHG emissions to 29 million metric tons by 2030 and hit net zero by 2050, DHL is pitching GoGreen Plus as the go-to product for clients eyeing low-carbon logistics.