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OTTO reduces sea freight emissions by 15 percent
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OTTO reduces sea freight emissions by 15 percent

3/15/2023 Editor Viktoria Rüpke
As part of its commitment to climate protection, OTTO wants to be climate-neutral in its own business activities by 2030 at the latest. This also includes the ongoing reduction of its CO2 emissions on its transport routes. The online retailer is now cooperating with GoodShipping, who is a pioneer and the market leader in reducing transportation emissions

GoodShipping, a Dutch company who is a pioneer and the market leader in reducing transportation emissions through a concept called carbon insetting. GoodShipping facilitates a fuel switch from fossil marine fuel to truly sustainable biofuels, which are obtained from various waste streams, including used cooking oil and fats from food production. Thanks to this cooperation, OTTO will save up to 15 percent of its CO2 emissions caused by sea freight in the coming 2023/24 financial year. First the online shop will start with ten percent.

OTTO had already reduced its share of air freight to less than two percent and will continue to do so. Thus, for OTTO, as the largest German online shop, sea freight represents the next starting point for further reducing its CO2 emissions. Alternative fuels will play a decisive role in the future: “The biggest disadvantage of marine diesel fuel is the immense emission of climate-damaging greenhouse gases and pollutants such as soot particles and particulate matter”, explains Gesa Beckmann, climate protection expert, OTTO sustainability team.

The good fact: The vessels do not need a technical update and the biofuel mix is produced from certified feedstock that is labelled as waste or residue. GoodShipping facilitates the fuel switch with truly sustainable fuels. Which means that all fuels are meeting strict sustainability criteria next to the globally acknowledged ones which are only produced from certifications such as ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification).

The cooperation is part of OTTOs sustainability strategy with its six fields of action. To further reduce CO2 emissions, OTTO follows three pillars: avoid, reduce, and temporarily compensate. By 2030 at the latest, OTTO wants to be climate-neutral in its business processes and will also be aligning its climate targets with Science Based Targets by mid-2023.

"It makes no difference to our atmosphere whether emissions come from a freighter carrying OTTO goods or from another ship. Emission is emission and emissions are bad. So it doesn't matter which ship fills up with the biofuel purchased by OTTO." The full interview with with Gesa Beckmann, climate protection expert in the OTTO sustainability team and Tina Trinks from GoodShipping, can be found here

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