DP World plants over 700 trees in partnership with Goodyear

The ‘Off the Road’ initiative began in January 2023 and is designed to offset the impact of CO2 emissions by planting two trees for every tyre purchased by DP World Southampton from Goodyear. For the past year, the trees have been planted in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire, where the reforestation effort has been completed in partnership with Tree-Nation, a non-profit focusing on global reforestation and combating climate change.

The initiative has so far resulted in 121.4 tonnes of CO2 being offset, with the total area of reforested land amounting to 0.35 hectares. Throughout the year, a combination of Aspen, Scots Pine and Grey Willow trees were planted.

Jonathan Scott, Senior Director – Engineering at DP World Southampton said: “Thanks to our strong working partnership with Goodyear, the tree planting initiative has made great progress so far. After cutting carbon emissions across Europe by 20 per cent last year, the ‘Off the Road’ initiative is yet another example of DP World’s commitment to work alongside partners that share our focus on sustainable operations as we strive to become carbon neutral by 2040 and net zero carbon by 2050.”

Paul Bould, OTR Sales Manager UK, Ireland & Benelux at Goodyear said: “We are happy to partner with DP World in this meaningful initiative, contributing to environmental sustainability while advancing our shared commitment to a better future. This collaboration exemplifies our dedication to working with our partners on fostering a culture of responsibility and care for the planet.”

The initiative marks the latest development in DP World’s decarbonisation push. In January, DP World Southampton announced an increase to the financial incentive of the ‘Modal Shift Programme’, which has the potential to mitigate up to 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions by encouraging customers to move freight from road to rail. The news also comes in the wake of DP World London Gateway going ‘fossil-diesel free’ following an operational switch to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

Last week, DP World announced that it was awarded a Bronze Medal for its global operations as part of its first EcoVadis sustainability assessment. EcoVadis, which is one of the world’s largest sustainability assessment providers, awarded the medal following the successful rollout of DP World’s sustainability strategy, ‘Our World, Our Future’ which focuses on making a positive impact on people and communities.

In addition to its UK hubs at Southampton and London Gateway, DP World’s offer includes logistics, forwarding and European transport capabilities, all of which are being integrated into the company’s global network. Operating in 78 countries, DP World handles 10 per cent of world trade.