DHL and Hapag-Lloyd Sign Three-Year Deal for Sustainable Marine Fuel

DHL Global Forwarding and Hapag-Lloyd announced a three-year agreement enabling DHL to claim Scope 3 greenhouse gas emission reductions from ocean shipping through the use of sustainable marine fuels under a book-and-claim chain of custody mechanism. The companies have already achieved 25,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions reductions under an initial order executed in July 2025.

The deal utilizes second-generation biofuels derived from certified waste and residue-based feedstocks such as brown grease and used cooking oil, which Hapag-Lloyd has been deploying since 2020 through its Ship Green product. The book-and-claim approach decouples the sustainability claim from the physical routing of the vessel, allowing DHL to report Scope 3 reductions from its ocean freight without requiring the sustainable fuel to physically move on the same ship carrying its cargo. This mechanism is increasingly important given the limited global supply of sustainable marine fuels.

Scope 3 shipping emissions are among the most difficult categories for freight buyers to address, given that they rely on third-party carriers and are subject to the geographic and operational constraints of global shipping networks. The book-and-claim model provides a practical near-term mechanism for companies to demonstrate progress against their supply chain decarbonization targets. For Indian exporters and importers dependent on container shipping, such frameworks may increasingly become part of customer procurement requirements as global companies tighten their Scope 3 reporting.

Both DHL and Hapag-Lloyd have set net zero targets — Hapag-Lloyd by 2045 and DHL by 2050. Hapag-Lloyd views sustainable logistics solutions as a key commercial lever to reach its fleet emissions goal. The three-year duration of the agreement provides a degree of volume certainty that supports Hapag-Lloyd's ongoing investment in sustainable fuel sourcing and supply chain development. The deal is notable as a model for how global freight partnerships can embed decarbonization commitments into commercial contracts.

Key figure — 25,000 tonnes CO2e reductions achieved under first order