DP World’s Biodiversity-Centric Sustainable Ocean Strategy

DP World is one of the largest logistics companies in the world with a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 111,000 employees spanning 77 countries on six continents.

The company is a global leader in marine terminal operations as well as a pioneer in sustainable trade logistics, working to enhance global trade flows and positively impact the communities and customers that it serves.

“Historically, DP World has been in ports and terminals but now we're growing in the space of being an integrated logistics integrated transportation company,” says Sarah Mouriño, Senior Director of Sustainability for the Americas at DP World.

“Where DP World has been focused on operating ports and terminals, we’re now building this end to end logistics network.

“So that includes inland trucking, air freight operations, rail connections and helping a customer get pretty much any shipment that they want to move to wherever it needs to go.”

The ocean carries 90% of the world’s traded goods and sustains the livelihoods of three billion people – and DP World understands the responsibility it has to support the oceans.

DP World’s ocean strategy

“DP World’s ocean strategy is all about how DP World as a business can support healthy oceans and a healthy ocean economy,” Sarah explains.

“What does a blue economy look like for us? What role do we have to play? Where can we use our capabilities in the transportation industry and our sustainability commitments to improve the health of the oceans?”

DP World’s ocean strategy, which sits within its wider Our World, Our Future sustainability strategy, is built on four key pillars:

• Diverse and resilience ecosystems
• Healthy waters
• Blue science, innovation and leadership 
• Blue finance 

As part of those four pillars, DP World is working to implement comprehensive waste management practices to eliminate single-use plastics from its office environments by 2030 and eliminate them from across all operations by 2035.

The company is enhancing capacity for ocean-climate action through the creation of knowledge hubs and citizen science programmes by 2025 and putting its money where its mouth is – by 2025, it aims to establish a portfolio of investable projects and a financial framework that bolsters practices conducive to a sustainable maritime industry.

Protecting and prioritising mangroves

The harsh reality is that 50% of the world’s coral reefs and 67% of mangroves have been lost. DP World is working to protect the coral reefs, mangroves and other protected plants and species it comes into contact with.

“I was in Brazil recently to visit our terminal in Santos and I got to see the Greenfield terminal, which is surrounded by protected mangroves,” Sarah shares.

“It really is incredible – to get to the terminal, you have to take a little ferry and you step off onto the dock and the mangroves are all around you.

“I was so enchanted – it is one of Brazil’s largest terminals, and it is surrounded by this wonderful, thriving ecosystem.”

“I’m so excited to see where we can go in the next few years with the new, accelerated ocean strategy.

“I've not seen another company like DP World have this kind of vision for the oceans – let alone this kind of action.”

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