Hapag-Lloyd and DSV expand decarbonisation partnership with 18,000 tonnes CO₂e agreement

Hapag-Lloyd and DSV have signed a two-year Ship Green framework agreement for the purchase of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. The reductions will be generated through the use of sustainable marine fuels within Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet.

The expansion of the partnership comes on the back of an already successful cooperation between DSV and Hapag-Lloyd on sustainable marine biofuels, which was implemented back in 2022.

Under the new agreement, DSV has contracted a total of 18,000 tonnes of CO₂e emission reductions on a well-to-wake (WTW) basis. The contracted period starts in 2026, during which the emission reductions will be generated using second-generation biofuels produced from waste- and residue-based feedstocks supporting tangible and verifiable progress toward net-zero ocean transport.

In addition to second-generation biofuels, the agreement allows for the inclusion of other sustainable fuel sources, making it the first of its kind. Through this agreement, Hapag-Lloyd and DSV are sending a strong signal to the market and reinforcing their shared commitment to accelerating scalable, future-ready decarbonisation solutions for ocean freight.

“We are very pleased to further strengthen our collaboration with DSV through this agreement,” said Danny Smolders, Managing Director Global Sales at Hapag-Lloyd. “Both companies share a clear ambition to accelerate the decarbonisation of global supply chains. By working closely together, we can turn this ambition into action. This agreement demonstrates how carriers and forwarders can jointly drive meaningful progress and scale lower-emission shipping solutions.”

“This agreement is an important step in our joint efforts to decarbonise global shipping at a crucial time for the green transition. Sustainable marine fuels are a tangible and scalable solution to reducing CO₂ emissions, and through close collaboration with Hapag-Lloyd, we are enabling our customers to decarbonise their supply chains,” said Michael Hollstein, Head of Ocean Product at DSV.

Scalable climate action

The agreement is based on a book-and-claim chain-of-custody mechanism that allows customers to claim verified emission reductions, regardless of the physical fuel allocation to specific vessels or routes. Only emissions avoidance from biofuel that has already been used in Hapag-Lloyd’s owned and operated fleet is allocated to DSV. This model enables scalable climate action while sustainable marine fuels remain limited in availability.

Both companies are committed to ambitious climate goals. Hapag-Lloyd aims to achieve net-zero fleet operations by 2045, while DSV has committed to reaching net-zero emissions across its own operations and value chain by 2050. Offering sustainable logistics solutions to customers is a key lever to achieve these goals.

Hapag-Lloyd has used second-generation biofuels for several years and expanded its sustainable fuels portfolio to include biomethane in 2024. Through Ship Green, Hapag-Lloyd offers customers the possibility to claim verified emission reductions by using sustainable marine fuels instead of conventional fossil marine fuel oil (MFO).

Biofuels currently represent the most available and scalable option in sea freight. As a global leader in transport and logistics, DSV actively works with customers to increase their uptake of biofuels, thus accelerating the transition.

By working together and leveraging sustainable marine fuels and the book and claim approach, DSV and Hapag-Lloyd are contributing to the shipping industry’s transition toward a more sustainable future.