Americas News
BC Ferries Joins Green Marine
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. (BC Ferries) announced Tuesday that they have joined Green Marine, a voluntary environmental certification program for the North American marine industry, including ship operators, ports, terminals, and shipyards.
BC Ferries' certification as a ship owner and terminal operator with Green Marine comes after the company was certified by an independent verifier earlier this month.
Green Marine "enables participants to reduce their environmental footprint by fostering a culture of continuous improvement and exceeding regulatory compliance," said BC Ferries in a statement.
Mike Corrigan, President and CEO at BC Ferries, commented on the new certification, saying, "at BC Ferries, we are proud to sail in the pristine coastal waters of British Columbia and we have an obligation to protect the environment and reduce the footprint of our operations."
"Joining Green Marine and achieving this certification reinforces our existing commitment to the environment and ensures we will continue to look for ways to apply best practices and be a leader in sustainable marine transportation."
BC Ferries says Green Marine will act as a benchmarking tool to measure performance and will provide a framework for the ferry service to develop a "continuously improving, robust, environmental program".
David Bolduc, Executive Director at Green Marine, also commented on BC Ferries' new certification, saying, "as one of the largest ferry operators in North America, BC Ferries plays a key role in showing how sustainable operations are within reach."
"Joining Green Marine clearly reflects a strong commitment towards the greening of their operations.
"It will also significantly help us achieve our objective, which is to improve the environmental record of the marine industry in general."
BC Ferries provides ferry services along coastal British Columbia under contract to the Province of British Columbia.
In April, Corrigan told local media that liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a "game changer" for the firm, which operates a total of 35 vessels in 17 classes throughout that province's coastal waters.
