net zero co lab
From conversation to action on net zero
Decarbonising supply chains is one of the most complex challenges in freight and logistics today. The net zero co lab is where companies stop talking about it and start doing something about it.
What is the net zero co lab?
The net zero co lab is a cross-industry platform created by DFDS that brings together customers, partners, and stakeholders from across logistics, manufacturing, FMCG, automotive, and other industrial sectors.
It is a space where companies can explore shared decarbonisation challenges openly, test new approaches together, and develop practical, real-world solutions without the risk of going it alone.
Our co lab sessions are a European-wide initiative and have been held in Amsterdam, London, Copenhagen, and Hamburg, with the latest session in Stockholm bringing together 28 participants from 9 companies.
Moving towards net zero. Together.
Net zero co lab brings customers, partners and DFDS together to solve decarbonisation challenges, accelerating learning and creating practical, scalable solutions.
4+ years
8 events
40+ companies
90+ participants
What to expect
Every co lab is different and our format evolves with the challenges we are tackling or how far we have come in solving them. But a few things remain constant.
1. Get hands-on with what comes next
Rather than presenting finished answers, we put ideas into practice: testing them, challenging assumptions, and finding out what makes them genuinely useful in the real world.
2. Learn from the room
Work with people facing the same transition from different positions in the value chain. Smaller group exercises and open discussions create space to compare experiences, challenges, and see how others approach similar problems.
3. Bring new perspectives in
We are exploring the latest developments in decarbonisation, unpacking new regulation, hearing from experts, or bringing different perspectives together through panels and conversations.
4. Shape what happens next
Participant feedback and insights help determine which ideas are worth taking forward, what needs to change and where the biggest unmet needs remain.
5. Make space for the bigger questions
Commercial pressures, regulation, technology and shifting priorities can all change the path forward. The co lab creates space to step outside the day-to-day and reflect together: where are we now and what will keep progress moving?
What our participants have to say
Volvo Group
"It's a really great opportunity to go from thinking and talking about it to actually identifying some actions." - Karin Falck, Specialist Innovation Manager at Volvo Group
Hypnos
"It is really important how we can share ideas, discuss openly, not only showing the journey we have done so far, but also seeing how we can change that and inspire other companies and their leaders to join us on this journey as we set industry first and try and change the world we live in for better and for all." - David Baldry, Hypnos
Geminor
"You find yourself circling over the same problems that other companies are going through and the joint learnings that can be had." - Kirstie Jones Williams, Geminor
Britvic
"It's about learning from each other. We all make mistakes in this journey, and we're here to learn, to adapt, and it's all for the greater good.” - Kevin McGourty (Britvic part of Carlsberg)
DFDS
"The key value here is creating a community in which we gather people who, like ourselves, have the green transition on the agenda." - Kasper Damgaard, DFDS
Real outcomes, not just ideas
The co lab does not just generate discussion. It produces practical outputs that companies can act on. Sessions so far have resulted in:
- Emissions dashboards that help companies visualise and benchmark their transport emissions
- Shared logistics opportunities, identified by mapping overlapping transport routes across companies
- Electric truck charging infrastructure concepts, now being developed into real projects
Built on collective action
One of the biggest barriers to decarbonisation is risk: financial, operational, and technological. The co lab helps reduce that risk by enabling companies to test solutions together through shared pilots, data modelling, and collaborative planning, without committing to large-scale investments upfront.
Participants quickly realise that many of the barriers they face are not unique. They are shared across supply chains, and that shift in perspective, from individual to collective problem-solving, is where real progress begins.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to make progress on net zero?
The transition to low-carbon logistics cannot be achieved by individual companies working alone. It requires collaboration across entire industries and ecosystems.
If you are ready to move beyond discussion and start building real solutions alongside others who share your goals, we would like to hear from you.