Hapag-Lloyd has published the company’s first sustainability report and has announced that its climate goal for 2020 is to achieve a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions for each TEU it moves per kilometre against measurements from 2016.
The container carrier, which has 219 vessels annually moving 9.8 TEU — the fifth largest capacity globally, has significantly lowered its CO2 emissions in the past.
Between 2007 and 2016, it reduced the specific CO2 emissions of its fleet by 46%.
Jörg Erdmann, Senior Director of Sustainability Management at Hapag-Lloyd, said: “We have deliberately set a very ambitious goal for ourselves in terms of CO2 emissions because we view sustainability as self-evident, active involvement rather than lip service.
“Hapag-Lloyd numbers among the leaders in the container shipping sector when it comes to sustainability.
“Time and again, our involvement far exceeds the measures required by law.
“For example, we are one of the few global shipping companies that recycle its container ships in an environmentally friendly manner in specifically certified shipyards – even if this entails additional costs.”
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In addition, Hapag-Lloyd has stated that it “expressly endorses” the April 13, 2018, decision of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to halve the CO2 emissions caused by the international shipping industry by 2050.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, said: “We think the strategy put forward by the IMO to decrease the greenhouse gas emissions from shipping is excellent.
“What matters now is for all market players to pull together in the same direction. Hapag-Lloyd will do everything within its power to contribute to achieving this goal.”
The carrier will be using methods such as upgrading and optimizing the container stowage systems onboard its vessels to reduce emissions per transported cargo unit.
Hapag-Lloyd also recently announced that it would share data with its freight forwarder Kuehne + Nagel as part of a ‘Carbon and Sustainability Pact’ to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions in their common container-transport activities.
