A key contributor has been the company’s Modal Shift Programme, launched in September 2023, which has increased rail freight’s share of cargo movements at Southampton from 21 per cent to more than 30 per cent. The programme has transferred over 200,000 container truck journeys from road to rail. Alongside rail expansion, DP World UK’s Low Carbon Truck Programme (LCTP) has registered more than 1,500 vehicles.   The initiative enables hauliers serving London Gateway and Southampton to switch from diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) under its first phase.      The programme has since expanded through the Electric Vehicle Introduction and Transition Accelerator (EVITA) trial at Southampton.

The initiative allows operators to deploy electric heavy goods vehicles at parity with diesel operating costs while assessing performance in live port and logistics operations over a 12-week period. 

John Trenchard, Vice President – Sustainable Supply Chains at DP World, said: “Exceeding 160,000 tonnes of CO2e savings in just three years is a major milestone. We see the net zero economy as a key factor in our future growth and our ability to deliver for customers.   “This achievement demonstrates the real benefits of ports, logistics providers and customers working collaboratively to decarbonise 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.”

The initiatives are designed to support reductions in Scope 3 emissions while maintaining supply chain efficiency and reliability.

DP World’s Carbon Inset Programme (CIP), launched in January 2025, has also expanded significantly. Registrations now exceed 250,000 TEUs of cargo after the emissions reduction credits available through the scheme increased from 50kg to 250kg of CO2e per container.      Earlier this year, the company introduced Container Terminal Inset Certificates generated through emissions reduction projects at Southampton.   The certificates, which form part of the wider Carbon Inset Programme, allow customers to account for emissions reductions achieved through electrification, renewable electricity and lower-carbon fuels within their own decarbonisation strategies.