Hellmann has established itself as a leader in sustainable logistics, promoting Cleaner Logistics solutions for all their products. Recently, the Global Seafreight Department completed two successful carbon insetting pilots, marking a significant step towards reducing Scope 3 emissions. We sat down with Sebastian Schultz, the Product Owner for Sustainable Seafreight Solutions at Hellmann, to discuss these pilots and their implications for the future of logistics.

Hi Sebastian, Hellmann recently completed two important carbon insetting pilots. Can you tell us more about these pilots and why they are so relevant?

Sebastian Schultz: Absolutely. These pilots are a crucial part of our broader strategy to reduce Scope 3 emissions from our Seafreight business—those emissions that are indirectly generated by our suppliers and impact our customers' supply chains. For both pilots, we facilitated a fuel switch from fossil to Sustainable Marine Fuel (SMF) together with our strategic partner Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM). This allowed us to provide our customers with a competitive solution that has a direct impact on the container shipping industry and significantly reduces the carbon footprint of our clients' sea freight businesses.

The first pilot was conducted with a key technology client and their plant in Hungary. We managed part of their upstream transportation during the first half of 2024 and by applying our carbon insetting solution, we have achieved a significant reduction of CO₂ equivalent emissions for their sea freight operations.

The second pilot involved a global leader in premium fashion, known for its high-quality, tailored garments. For this client, we exclusively managed their upstream transportation from Bangladesh to Germany. This first pilot included more than 300 shipments with a total weight of over 1,200 tons, resulting in a reduction of almost 150 tons of CO₂ equivalent Scope 3 emissions from their sea freight operations in the first half of 2024. This equals the emissions caused by roughly 32 cars over the course of a year, demonstrating the significant impact we can achieve by transitioning to sustainable fuels in sea freight. 

For both companies, the investment into biofuel was a major step to make their sea freight operations more sustainable and decarbonize their logistics.

That sounds impressive. What challenges did you face in implementing these pilots, particularly in terms of operational changes and delivery times?

Sebastian Schultz: One of the key advantages of carbon insetting based on a book & claim system is that it doesn’t require any operational changes to the existing supply chain. Customers don’t have to fear longer lead times, operational limitations or added complexity. The only change being made was the bunkering of biofuel into the ships of our strategic partner HMM, which has been facilitated by the carrier. HMM is a leading Korean shipping company that operates part of its fleet on sustainable fuels. Hellmann is co-financing this initiative, helping to cover the costs, and the Scope 3 emission savings were passed on to our customers.

How have customers responded to this initiative, especially the two involved in the pilots?

Sebastian Schultz: The response has been very positive. Our fashion client has already decided to continue using this approach to reduce emissions from their supply chain, as the pilot results demonstrated that sustainable sea freight is not only feasible but also economically viable. As for our technology client, further decisions are still pending, but the initial results have been well received there as well.

How do you see the future of Sustainable Seafreight Solutions at Hellmann following these successful pilots?

Sebastian Schultz: These pilots have shown us that Sustainable Seafreight Solutions are not only possible but can be implemented without disrupting our customers' operations. We plan to expand these practices across more parts of our customers’ supply chains and continue to promote the use of alternative fuels. The collaboration with HMM allows us to pass on the benefits with a direct impact on the container shipping industry to our clients, making these solutions more accessible and attractive.

It sounds like Hellmann is setting a strong example for the industry. Any final thoughts on the impact these pilots have had?

Sebastian Schultz: I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far. These pilots are a testament to the fact, that with the right partnerships and a commitment to sustainability, we can make a significant impact. We’ve seen that customers are ready to take these steps with us, and that gives me a lot of optimism for the future. Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword—it’s a practical and necessary approach to how we do business, and I’m excited to see where we go from here.

Thank you for your time and the interesting insights, Sebastian!