DP World and IRENA have announced the signing of a cooperation agreement to accelerate the use of renewable energy and cut emissions from the ports and maritime and logistics sector.
The agreement was signed by IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera and DP World Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem and focuses on identifying and implementing decarbonisation solutions across the sector.
“We are honoured to partner with IRENA in this transformative journey towards a shared global vision of renewable energy powering the supply chain. DP World is working to shape the future of trade, building resilience and sustainability at every stage. We will leverage our extensive reach and influence to convene the supply chain industry, fostering solutions that resonate not only within our operations but across borders, ensuring a sustainable flow of trade worldwide. Together, we will drive meaningful change and set new standards for a greener future,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.
“In our race to accelerate a renewables-based energy transition, the maritime sector remains one of the most challenging industries to decarbonise. DP World’s innovative use of smart electrification is spearheading the sector’s shift towards renewables and improvements in energy efficiency across ports and maritime logistics operations. Our partnership with DP World is a ground-breaking step towards accelerating effective and innovative renewables-based energy solutions,” Franceso La Camera added.
Both IRENA and DP World will share their insights on initiatives at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
DP World said it will advocate for more urgent climate action, leveraging its scale and influence to bring together the supply chain industry to develop impactful long-term solutions, while ensuring continued trade flow worldwide.
It has already committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2040 and net zero carbon by 2050.
Further, at COP 27 last year, the business announced that it had joined the Green Shipping Challenge and committed to investing up to $500 million to cut CO2 emissions by nearly 700,000 tonnes over the next five years.
Its long-term strategy involves electrifying operations, pioneering low-carbon fuel use, and exploring other cutting-edge solutions, such as carbon-neutral synthetic natural gas.
DP World has also partnered with the Maersk McKinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping and joined the UN Global Compact’s Think Lab on Just Transition.
Further, it shared that global carbon emissions were down by 5% in 2022, with a 4% reduction in energy consumption, and that at terminals in Rotterdam and Jebel Ali, this was achieved by electrifying equipment, alongside using low carbon Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) at Southampton port in the UK.
Carbon emissions from its UAE operations have also been cut by nearly 50% this year, it said, noting that at the Jebel Ali port, electricity now comes 100% from renewable sources provided by the local utility provider.
This includes all the vertical stacking equipment at Terminal-4, which has been switched to fully electric.