CMA CGM Slashes Owned Fleet CO2 Emissions by 50%

CMA CGM's announcement that it has cut its fleet emissions by 50% comes just days away from the start of COP 21 in Paris.

France-based shipping giant CMA CGM S.A. (CMA CGM) Wednesday said that it has slashed the CO2 emissions from its owned fleet by 50 percent over the past 10 years, citing its "efficient environmental policy sustained by deploying innovative solutions."

The company's announcement comes just days before COP 21 is set to begin in Paris and alongside calls from environmental groups for delegates attending the climate summit to agree that a global emissions cap for shipping should be set.

CMA CGM says that on average shipping a container emits about 60 grams of CO2 per kilometre, in comparison 2005 when that could be expected to be 120 grams.

The company adds that its "best-performing ships" emit about 37 grams of CO2 per container transported, noting the CMA CGM Bougainville as an example, a ship that it said to be able to carry up to 200,000 tonnes of goods in 18,000 containers.

"Shipping today is the most environmentally friendly transport mode: it is 70 times less polluting than flight transportation," said CMA CGM in the statement.

CMA CGM explains that it has achieved its CO2 reduction results by implementing a number of efficiency and environmental measures on its fleet, including improving its vessels hydrodynamics to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The company says it also uses the Fleet Navigation and Support Centre to optimise routes, speeds, and fuel consumption, and uses newly developed environmentally friendly containers, said to be able to save 1 to 2 tonnes of fuel per day, thereby preventing an overall 3 to 6 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

CMA CGM also notes that it equips new vessels with “additional innovations to preserve the oceans,” including the use of an oil recovery and ballast water treatment systems.

On Wednesday, Ship & Bunker reported that the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) said that "aggressive" fuel efficiency efforts being implemented by the global shipping industry are capable of delivering "far more ambitious" reductions in CO2 emissions than current government targets.