DP World is trialling a new programme to help UK cargo importers cut emissions.

The initiative is set to begin on January 1, 2025, and will last six months.

The Carbon Inset Programme, being tested at London Gateway and Southampton, will give importers 50kg of CO2e carbon credits for every loaded import container moved through DP World's UK terminals.

These credits, issued quarterly, will highlight efforts by participating companies to reduce indirect emissions in their supply chains.

Different from traditional carbon offset credits, which balance emissions through external projects, inset credits show a real reduction in emissions in a company’s own supply chain.

DP World produces these credits through its subsidiary, Unifeeder, which uses fuels with gradually lower carbon content across Northern Europe.

These credits, once verified, are pooled for registered importers to access.

John Trenchard, vice president of commercial and supply chain, DP World in the UK, said: "At DP World we are constantly exploring ways to reduce carbon emissions across our customers’ supply chains. Insetting carbon emissions is a transparent, direct and pragmatic approach with immediate measurable impact for our customers.

"By providing easy access to an independently certified inset programme, we aim to create better awareness and encourage the adoption of more sustainable practices. By participating in the trial, a world first, import cargo owners can actively contribute to global decarbonisation efforts while aligning with their own sustainability goals."

This programme offers businesses a clear and measurable way to cut indirect supply chain emissions, while also showing sustainability efforts to customers.

The inset initiative follows DP World's Modal Shift Programme, which cut emissions by more than 17,000 tonnes in its first year, earning the 'Transport and Mobility Project of the Year' award at the edie Net Zero awards in November.

If half of the import volume at DP World’s UK terminals takes part in the trial, this could replace more than 11,000 tonnes of traditional fossil fuel with lower-carbon marine fuels, reducing 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Businesses can register for the trial and are encouraged to do so before December 31, 2024, to receive free carbon inset credits.