The formula for biodiesel made from residual and waste materials is "Ucome" (Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester) , which reputable suppliers claim offers CO₂savingsof over 90% compared to fossil diesel. DHL and CMA CGM now intend to accelerate the use of this biofuel.
Biofuel significantly reduces CO₂ emissions,but it is not available in unlimited quantities on the globalmarket. On the other hand, it does not compete with food production, as it uses vegetable oils already used in food production and classified as residues and waste . And once again, the most important supplier is China. In the first half of 2025, the People's Republic delivered approximately 431,300 tons to the EU,increasing its share of EU imports from third countries to 41%; this is almost double the amount delivered in the same period of the previous year, when it accounted for about 217,300 tons and a share of 25%.
Accelerating decarbonization
DHL and CMA CGM, France's largest shipping and logistics company, aim to accelerate the decarbonization of sea freight by jointly purchasing 8,990 tons of second-generation biofuel approximately 25,000 tons of CO₂equivalentsto save into DHL's GoGreen Plus and CMA CGM's ACT+ offerings be integrated
Stadium inauguration in Marseille. Photo: CMA CGM
The initiative aims to enable DHL customers to significantly reduce the carbon intensity of their international supply chains while accelerating the industry's transition to alternative marine fuels. "This collaboration is another milestone on our journey towards low-carbon supply chains," said Casper Ellerbaek, Head of Global Ocean Freight at DHL Global Forwarding. CMA CGM will physically bunker the biofuel across its entire fleet, ensuring that the emission reductions meet DHL's Book & Claim approach. Compared to conventional marine fuels, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be up to 80% lower.
Preventive disaster relief
CMA CGM has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 and, according to its own figures, has already reduced the carbon intensity of its shipping activities by 57% since 2008. The company is investing heavily in alternative fuels and dual-fuel vessels.
Within France, CMA CGM is heavily involved in social projects, such as supporting the construction of (so far a total of three) stadiums for public use, most recently in Marseille, or an "Entrepôt solidaire" founded in 2024 to provide food to disadvantaged population groups in the style of the "Tafel" known in Germany, with around 3300 pallets of goods handled in 2025.
Logistics center in Guadeloupe
In early December, CMA CGM announced the strengthening of the capacities of the French Red Cross's PIRAC (Regional Intervention Platform for the Americas and the Caribbean) to manage crises in the Caribbean, with a humanitarian aid distribution center in Guadeloupe. In 2024, CMA CGM the PIROI (Indian Ocean Regional Intervention Platform) Foundation, whose new warehouse was inaugurated on Réunion Island in December. A separate CMA CGM Foundation has been supporting the French Red Cross since 2015 through its
"Containers of Hope" program.
