DP World has helped customers cut more than 160,000 tonnes of CO2 e from UK supply chains in under three years, driven by increased rail freight, lower-carbon trucking solutions and carbon inset programs.
The company’s Modal Shift Programme, launched in September 2023, has increased the share of rail freight at DP World’s Southampton terminal from 21% to more than 30%, moving more than 200,000 truck trips from road to rail.
DP World UK’s Low Carbon Truck Programme (LCTP) trial has registered more than 1,500 trucks, enabling hauliers serving London Gateway and Southampton to transition from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) at no additional cost under phase one. The program’s second phase introduced the Electric Vehicle Introduction and Transition Accelerator (EVITA) trial at Southampton, allowing hauliers to operate electric HGVs at the same cost as diesel and trial them in real-world operations over a 12-week period.
John Trenchard, vice president of sustainable supply chains at DP World, said exceeding 160,000 tonnes of CO2 e savings in three years marks a major milestone. “We see the net zero economy as a key factor in our future growth and our ability to deliver for customers,” Trenchard said. “This achievement demonstrates the real benefits of ports, logistics providers and customers working collaboratively to decarbonize supply chains at scale. Through initiatives spanning rail freight, lower-carbon fuels, electrification and carbon inset credits, we are helping customers reduce emissions while maintaining efficient, resilient and commercially sustainable supply chains.”
DP World’s Carbon Inset Programme (CIP), which launched in January 2025, has continued to scale, with registrations now surpassing 250,000 TEUs worth of cargo after the credits available through the scheme were increased five-fold, from 50kg to 250kg of CO2 e per container.
Building on the program, DP World UK earlier this year launched new Container Terminal Inset Certificates, created through emissions reductions at Southampton, which will be included in the Carbon Inset Programme. The certificates allow customers to count emissions reductions generated through electrification, renewable electricity and lower-carbon fuels such as HVO toward their own supply chain decarbonization targets.
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