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Hapag-Lloyd, DHL Decarbonize Supply Chains

[ October 6, 2025   //   Gary Burrows ]

Hapag-Lloyd and DHL Global Forwarding, in joint efforts to decarbonize supply chains, signed a three-year framework agreement for the purchase of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emission reductions from the use of sustainable marine fuels within the ocean carrier’s fleet.

As part of this agreement, the first order of 25,000 tons CO2e well-to-wake (WTW) emission avoidance was successfully executed in July. The biofuels are second-generation biofuels produced from waste and residue feedstock, demonstrating the companies’ unwavering commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are delighted to have completed this order with DHL, demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of using sustainable marine fuels to reduce Scope 3 emissions through our Ship Green product,” said Danny Smolders, managing director global sales at Hapag-Lloyd.

The framework agreement “marks a crucial step toward realizing our shared vision of a decarbonized shipping industry,” said Casper Ellerbaek, head of global ocean freight at DHL Global Forwarding.

 The agreement showcases the effective application of the “book and claim” chain of custody mechanism, enabling customers to claim Scope 3 emission reduction for their transport separately from the physical use of the fuel. By decoupling decarbonization from the physical transportation, sustainable marine fuel enabled by book and claim emerges as a vital tool to drive early action in the shipping industry, particularly given that the supply of sustainable marine fuels is limited globally and of higher cost.

Hapag-Lloyd aiming to achieve net-zero fleet emissions by 2045 and DHL is striving to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Sustainable logistics solutions for customers is a key lever to achieve these goals.

Hapag-Lloyd has been deploying second-generation biofuels since 2020. Since 2023, it has been offering its customers the possibility to claim the resulting emission avoidance through Ship Green, its emission-reduced ocean transport product utilizing biofuel blends instead of traditional fossil marine fuel oil.

DHL’s GoGreen Plus products provide decarbonized solutions across DHL’s core offerings by leveraging sustainable fuels and low carbon technology. GoGreen Plus products are based on true value chain decarbonization, enabled by the book and claim approach. GoGreen Plus allows customers to reduce their indirect Scope 3 emissions in their value chain arising from upstream and downstream transportation and distribution. It also helps customers with voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and progress against their decarbonization targets.

Hapag-Lloyd operates a fleet of 313 modern container ships with total transport capacity of 2.5 million TEUs, and has equity stakes in 21 terminals in Europe, Latin America, the U.S., India and North Africa.

DHL, part of DHL Group, generated revenues of about 84.2 billion euros in 2024 in its efforts to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.

Tags: DHL Global Forwarding, Hapag-Lloyd, Ship Green