15-04-2021

Our HAKRO site in Schrozberg has already been climate neutral since 2018. Now we are taking the next step and launching our first pilot project in cooperation with GoodShipping to ensure less CO2 emissions in our inbound logistics. As the first corporate fashion supplier, we have been a partner of GoodShipping since autumn 2020. Together with the initiative, we use sustainable biofuels that are used in container sea freight.

At HAKRO, we have our textiles manufactured by carefully selected production partners abroad, e.g. in Turkey, Bangladesh, Laos or Cambodia. Depending on the production site, the garments are delivered to our logistics centre in Schrozberg in Baden-Württemberg by land or in containers by sea freight. The cooperation with GoodShipping is considered a pilot project and will initially start with the deliveries we receive from our production site in Cambodia, which cover a distance of approximately 9,000 nautical miles by ship.

"As part of the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, we have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions along the entire supply chain by 30% by 2030 compared to 2015," says Jochen Schmidt, team leader of our Quality, Values and Sustainability department. Where possible, we reduce CO2 emissions, for example by using green electricity. Unavoidable emissions that occur at our site are offset by climate protection projects in Bangladesh or Cambodia.

With a sharpened eye on the transport sector, it quickly becomes clear that the world's oceans in particular are longing for a future-oriented change. After all, emissions from the transport industry are expected to increase by 50% to 250% by 2050. "The cooperation is therefore another important step towards climate neutrality for our company," adds Jochen Schmidt.

GoodShipping is the first initiative worldwide to replace fossil fuels with more environmentally friendly alternatives, thus revolutionising container sea freight in a sustainable way. How does it work? Through biofuel of the so-called second generation by GoodFuels, which is made from certified raw materials extracted from production residues and plant parts that were previously treated as waste.

"On the transport routes from Cambodia to Germany, our transports emit about 60 tonnes of CO2 per year. By using biofuels, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 90%. In order to be completely CO2-neutral, GoodShipping refuels cargo ships with 10% additional biofuel and thus makes up the difference to 100% CO2-neutrality," explains Anna Rüchardt from the Quality, Values and Sustainability team. The ship does not necessarily have to be the container ship used to ship the HAKRO textiles. The biofuel can also be used for other ships affiliated with the initiative. "We are very pleased that, with the help of the initiative, we were subsequently able to reduce all CO2 emissions from the previous year. A valuable side effect for us is that the biofuels are sulphur-free and thus also minimise particulate pollution," adds Anna Rüchardt. At the same time, we are thus able to curb the use of environmentally harmful heavy oils in shipping.