SSI: Focus on Sustainable Shipping is on the Rise

Bunge saved 10,000 tonnes of bunkers

Environmental organisation the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) Tuesday announced in an emailed press release that its members were showing clear progress towards embedding sustainability targets within the shipping industry.

Commodities firm Bunge has saved 10,000 tonnes of bunkers since 2013 by implementing slow steaming on 25 percent of its fleet, according to SSI, and the company is aiming to boost industry collaboration towards a transparent global emissions index.

Cargill, another commodities industry player, has adopted the RightShip Green Rankings system in assessing charter vessels, ensuring a minimum efficiency level for its charters, while coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel has incorporated the Clean Shipping Index into its tender process meaning environmental issues are given weight in procurement decisions.

"Including a consideration of eco efficiency rates within the tender process enables a more holistic assessment of tender responses," said Carol Routledge, AkzoNobel's Global Sustainability Manager.

Maersk Line has reported that around a fifth of its customers are requesting sustainability information as part of their contractual relationship with the shipper.

"We are keen to collaborate with first-movers to accelerate the development, promotion and adoption of best practices for integrating sustainability into logistics," said Maersk Line's Head of Sustainability, Signe Bruun Jensen.

SSI is a global coalition of cross-industry members representing ship operators as well as the engineering, building, classification, services, finance, and insurance sectors.

AkzoNobel recently announced it had teamed up with The Gold Standard Foundation to offer carbon credits to shippers investing in its energy-saving hull coatings.