CARGOCONNECT-JUNE2026 - Flipbook - Page 16
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
DECOUPLING
CARBON FROM
CARGO
T
he term ‘Decarbonisation’,
much like in every other
sector, has emerged as
a key focus area for the
maritime industry as well
and has come a long way
from being merely a buzzword. With
mounting regulatory pressure, growing
environmental concerns, and increasing
demand from global shippers for cleaner
supply chains, shipping companies
and logistics stakeholders are steadily
exploring low-emission alternatives
and collaborative sustainability models.
Sustainable Marine Fuels (SMFs),
without a doubt, has increasingly
emerged as one of the most scalable
paths forward for this reason because
these fuels allow for immediate carbon
The value of the green
logistics market in the world
was estimated to be around
US$1.78 trillion in 2025.
During the forecasted period,
the market growth will go
from US$1.94 trillion in 2026
to US$3.75 trillion in 2034,
registering a CAGR of 8.6%.
16 | CARGOCONNECT JUNE 2026
reductions without requiring massive
overhauls of existing vessel engines.
However, because green fuels aren’t
available at every port across the globe,
the maritime industry is increasingly
adopting the book-and-claim chainof-custody mechanism. This model
decouples the physical fuel from the
speci昀椀c shipment, allowing companies
to claim veri昀椀ed emission reductions
regardless of the vessel’s speci昀椀c route.
Recent industry movements re昀氀ect
this shift. For instance, major carriers
like Hapag-Lloyd and logistics providers such as Kuehne+Nagel have begun
collaborating on large-scale biofuel
initiatives on high-traffic lanes, such
as East Asia to North Europe. By utilising
book-and-claim products, these entities are projected to avoid thousands of
tonnes of CO₂ emissions through 2026,
signalling a move toward commercially
viable, market-based climate action.
It is quite evident that as the maritime sector accelerates its sustainability
journey, such initiatives indicate how
collaboration, alternative fuels, and
transparent emissions strategies are
becoming central to the industry’s
decarbonisation roadmap.
The New Age of
Green Warehousing
Sustainability is becoming a critical determinant for the future course of development of
the warehousing industry. While in the past,
sustainability has been largely concerned
with issues related to storage capacities and
e昀케ciency, the trend today is moving toward
incorporating energy savings, environmentally
friendly infrastructure, resource management,
and more.
The value of the green logistics market in
the world was estimated to be around US$1.78
trillion in 2025. During the forecast period, the
market growth will go from US$1.94 trillion in
2026 to US$3.75 trillion in 2034, registering a
CAGR of 8.6%. The Asia Paci昀椀c region held the
largest market share with 44.94% in 2025. The
incorporation of features like energy-e昀케cient
lighting systems, solar-powered installations,
water conservation techniques, waste recycling
processes, and eco-friendly building materials,
in all likelihood, will emerge as a common
practice in Grade A warehouse facilities.
Re昀氀ecting this broader industry transition,
Drylock Technologies recently announced
the construction of a new automated highdensity warehouse in the Czech Republic
in collaboration with Körber. The facility
has been designed with sustainability at its
core, incorporating low-emission steel and
energy-e昀케cient systems aimed at reducing
environmental impact while improving logistics
e昀케ciency and operational 昀氀exibility.
Moreover, key logistics giants such as DHL
Group, UPS, FedEx, DB Schenker, Maersk,
and XPO Logistics have been increasingly
engaging in sustainability-based projects
and developing eco-friendly technologies
using 昀氀eet electri昀椀cation, carbon-tracking
technologies, sustainable warehousing systems,
AI-powered routing technology, and green
transport systems.
