Hapag-Lloyd, Kuehne+Nagel advance shipping decarbonisation

Hapag-Lloyd and Kuehne+Nagel have expanded their long-standing partnership to include emission-reduced ocean freight solutions.

As part of the agreement, the logistics provider will adopt Hapag-Lloyd’s Ship Green product to lower the carbon footprint of its shipments.

Under the agreement, around 3,300 TEUs of cargo transported on the East Asia to North Europe trade lane between April and December 2026 will be covered by the initiative.

The companies said the use of certified waste- and residue-based biofuels is expected to avoid approximately 2,979 tonnes of CO₂e emissions on a well-to-wake basis.

The agreement marks the first collaboration between the two firms focused specifically on emission-reduced ocean transport solutions.

Danny Smolders, Managing Director Global Sales at Hapag-Lloyd, said: “We are proud to take our partnership with Kuehne+Nagel to the next level. With Ship Green, we offer a scalable solution that enables our customers to actively reduce their Scope 3 emissions today. This agreement shows how strong partnerships can translate into tangible climate impact.”

The arrangement is based on a book-and-claim chain-of-custody model, enabling customers to claim verified emissions reductions regardless of where the biofuel is physically used within Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet.

According to the companies, only emissions reductions linked to biofuel consumed by Hapag-Lloyd-operated vessels will be allocated to Kuehne+Nagel.

The model is designed to support wider adoption of alternative fuels by allowing scalable emissions reductions across supply chains without requiring direct fuel allocation to individual sailings.

Paolo Montrone, Head of Trade Global Sea Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel, stated: “Decarbonising shipping requires transparency, collaboration and commercially viable solutions.

“By having strong partnerships, making emissions data transparent, and enabling scope 3 reductions, we help customers navigate in a credible, market-based way, designed to accelerate the uptake of alternative fuels. We are pleased to extend our collaboration with Hapag Lloyd to make this come true.”

Recently, Hapag-Lloyd announced that it will open a new office in Cotonou, Benin.