Volvo Cars uses Maersk biodiesel shipping to cut 28,000 tonnes emissions

Volvo Cars partnered with Maersk's ECO Delivery Ocean to replace fossil fuels with waste-based biodiesel across nearly 15,000 containers, targeting a 28,000-tonne GHG reduction in twelve months. The assured, certificate-based model illustrates Scope 3 logistics decarbonisation approaches relevant to Indian manufacturers and exporters.

Volvo Cars partnered with Maersk to cut greenhouse gas emissions from seaborne logistics using Maersk's ECO Delivery Ocean, which replaces fossil fuels with second-generation biodiesel derived from waste feedstocks, reducing emissions directly without offsetting. With nearly 15,000 containers under the agreement, Volvo Cars aims to cut GHG emissions by 28,000 tonnes within twelve months. The solution covers inbound ocean transport of production materials for plants in China, Europe and the Americas, plus global spare-parts distribution. The first ECO Delivery transports began in June.

The partnership affects Volvo Cars' inbound logistics, Maersk's shipping operations and the broader automotive ocean-freight supply chain, with both companies targeting net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. Sustainability and carbon certification of Maersk's green fuels is conducted by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), with emissions accounting based on Clean Cargo and GLEC emission factors certified by the Smart Freight Center. PwC audits the process under ISAE 3410, providing assured evidence of CO2 savings, and customers receive verified certificates for a small fixed additional cost.

Manufacturers and shippers should evaluate certified biodiesel ocean-freight options, the assurance and certification infrastructure (ISCC, GLEC, ISAE 3410) underpinning verified CO2 savings, and the per-container cost premium for renewable fuels. Indian manufacturers and exporters managing Scope 3 logistics emissions should monitor this certificate-based, assured decarbonisation model as a near-term option for cutting ocean-freight emissions, given Maersk's stated aim of inspiring wider adoption and establishing renewable fuels as a viable mid-term solution for global supply chains.

Key figure — Targeted reduction: 28,000 tonnes of GHG within twelve months