DHL Global Forwarding and Hapag-Lloyd have expressed their commitment to decarbonizing supply chains in a three-year framework agreement. In this way, Scope 3 emissions are to be reduced specifically through the use of alternative marine fuels in the Hapag-Lloyd fleet.
As part of the agreement, in July 2025 the first order to avoid 25,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions along the entire fuel chain ("Well-to-Wake") had already been successfully implemented. The second-generation biofuels used came from waste and residue materials. Casper Ellerbaek, Head of Global Ocean Freight at DHL Global Forwarding:
“The signing of this three-year framework agreement is
an important step toward realizing our joint vision of climate-neutral shipping. We look forward to collaborating with Hapag-Lloyd to advance the use of sustainable marine fuels as well as the Book-and-Claim mechanism and to help our customers achieve their climate goals.”
With “Book and Claim” on the road to sustainability
The agreement shows how the “Book and Claim” mechanism works in practice. Customers can claim Scope 3 emissions reductions for their transports, even if the sustainable ship fuel is not directly used in their own transport. Because alternative marine fuels are still scarce and expensive worldwide, the decoupling
of fuel use and emission credits is particularly valuable, according to Danny Smolders, Managing Director Global Sales at Hapag-Lloyd:
“We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with DHL. It shows that the use of alternative marine fuels via our Ship Green product is a real and effective way to reduce Scope 3 emissions. The collaboration with DHL shows how much we can move together. Together we are steadily driving the decarbonization of our supply chains step by step.”
Hapag-Lloyd aims to operate a net-zero fleet by 2045. At the same time, DHL intends to achieve net-zero
emissions across the entire company by 2050. Providing sustainable logistics solutions is, according to both companies, a central lever to achieving the goals.
Since 2020, Hapag-Lloyd has been using second-generation biofuels. Since 2023 the company offers its customers with the product “Ship Green” the option to claim the emissions avoided as a result for their transports. These biofuels replace conventional heavy fuel oil (Marine Fuel Oil, MFO).
Through the collaboration and the use of Book and Claim as well as sustainable marine fuels, DHL and Hapag-Lloyd aim to drive the transformation of the industry toward a more sustainable
