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DP World has extended its groundbreaking UK carbon inset programme until the end of the year after registering more than 150,000 import containers since its launch in January, marking the first initiative of its kind globally.
The Dubai-based ports operator initially planned to run the trial for six months but has now extended it through December 2025 following strong uptake from cargo owners seeking to reduce their supply chain emissions. They announced this extension on 19 May 2025.
The programme offers importers 50kg of carbon dioxide-equivalent carbon (CO₂-e) credits for every loaded container passing through DP World’s Southampton and London Gateway terminals. Unlike traditional carbon offsets, which fund external environmental projects, these “insets” address emissions directly within companies’ supply chains through the use of cleaner marine fuels.
The credits are generated through Unifeeder, DP World’s Northern European shipping subsidiary, which deploys lower-carbon fuels across its fleet. The initiative forms part of DP World’s broader decarbonisation strategy, which includes commitments to cut absolute emissions by 42% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050.
“DP World is committed to providing our customers pragmatic solutions to help them meet their sustainability goals,” said John Trenchard, vice president for commercial and supply chain at DP World UK. “With 150,000 TEUs worth of registrations since January, the trial has been an undeniable success.”
The scheme addresses the challenge of Scope 3 emissions — indirect emissions from a company’s value chain — which often represent the largest portion of a business’s carbon footprint but are among the most difficult to reduce. On average, these emissions can account for anywhere between 80 and 95% of an organisation’s total emissions.
Fyffes UK, the fresh produce importer, was among the early adopters of the programme. “We have signed up to the innovative Carbon Inset Programme offered by DP World UK as this is an immediate and pragmatic way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain,” said John Hopkins, chief executive of Fyffes UK.
Source: DP World
DP World estimates that if half of import volumes at its UK ports participate in the trial, it would replace over 33,600 tonnes of traditional fossil fuel with lower-carbon marine fuels, equivalent to reducing 32,750 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The initiative reflects growing pressure on companies to demonstrate concrete progress on supply chain emissions as investors and regulators increasingly scrutinise corporate sustainability claims. The programme is funded through DP World’s existing Energy Transition Contribution, meaning participating cargo owners receive the credits at no additional cost.
The extension comes as DP World continues to invest in decarbonisation initiatives in the UK. Its Modal Shift Programme trial, for instance, has removed over 25,000 tonnes of CO₂-e from supply chains by shifting approximately 8 million road miles to rail freight around its Southhampton logistics hub.
Similar initiatives have been seen around the world; in the UAE, DP World launched an electric fleet solution at Jebel Ali Port in partnership with Einride, which is set to reduce 14,600 tonnes of CO₂-e compared with diesel operations.
Container Handling Equipment (CHE) enables port operations, but in 2020 alone, the global fleet of CHE emitted 10-15 million tonnes of CO₂. DP World is active in the Zero Emission Port Alliance, a coalition with the goal of accelerating the journey towards zero emissions for CHE.
