Hapag Lloyd and DSV have signed a two year Ship Green framework agreement to purchase greenhouse gas emissions reductions linked to ocean freight, aimed at lowering Scope 3 emissions in supply chains. The reductions will be generated through the use of sustainable marine fuels within Hapag Lloyd’s fleet, extending an existing cooperation between the two companies that began in 2022 around marine biofuels.

 

Volume Contracted and Timing of Reductions

 

Under the new framework, DSV has contracted 18,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions reductions on a well to wake basis starting in 2026. The agreement is designed to deliver reductions through second generation biofuels made from waste and residue feedstocks, positioning the contract as a near-term decarbonisation lever that relies on fuels available today rather than waiting for future propulsion transitions.

 

Fuel Eligibility and Portfolio Flexibility

 

While the core mechanism is built around second generation biofuels, the framework allows additional sustainable fuel sources to be included. This flexibility matters because the availability and price of different low carbon fuel options can shift materially, and a contract that can incorporate multiple fuel pathways can sustain volume delivery even as supply chains and certification routes evolve.

 

Read more: DP World and Svitzer Shift a Southampton Tug to HVO as Carbon Inset Credits Expand in the UK

 

How Book and Claim Allocates Reductions

 

The agreement uses a book and claim chain of custody model, which allows verified emissions reductions to be claimed without requiring the physical fuel to be allocated to a specific ship or route used by the customer. In this structure, only emissions avoidance from biofuel that has already been used in Hapag Lloyd’s owned and operated fleet is allocated to DSV, creating a separation between the physical consumption of fuel and the commercial allocation of the associated climate benefit. The purpose is to enable scale while sustainable fuel volumes remain constrained, although the credibility of the approach depends on rigorous verification and clear rules that prevent double counting.

 

Strategic Fit with Net Zero Targets

 

The partnership aligns with Hapag Lloyd’s stated aim to reach net zero fleet operations by 2045 and DSV’s commitment to net zero emissions across its operations and value chain by 2050. Hapag Lloyd has used second generation biofuels for several years and broadened its sustainable fuels offering to include biomethane in 2024, building a portfolio that can supply verified reductions through Ship Green as customers increase pressure for measurable decarbonisation outcomes in ocean transport.

 

What This Signals for the Market

 

This agreement illustrates how carriers and freight forwarders are increasingly formalising low emissions shipping demand through quantified contracts rather than ad hoc purchases. The central test will be whether contracted reductions can be delivered with consistent verification at competitive cost as fuel supply remains limited, and whether book and claim approaches build enough trust to become a mainstream pathway for Scope 3 reductions until physical green fuel use can be matched more directly to specific routes and cargo flows.