Maersk Line show efficiency improvements in recent report

Maersk Line has recently published its Sustainability Progress Update for the year 2013, showing a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 3.8 million tonnes complimenting the businesses 4.1% growth.

Soren Skou, CEO of Maersk Line, has said: “2013 was a good year for Maersk Line – financially as well as in terms of our sustainability performance. Our fuel efficiency improvements helped cut CO2 as well as air pollutants like SOx and COx.”

2013 saw the shipping company take on board the first four of 20 Triple-E vessels. These new vessels set a new standard to which energy efficiency was to meet.

One challenge faced in regards to the Sustainability Progress Update is the regulation of sulphur emissions. Sulphur emissions will require ships sailing in Emission Control Areas in order to change to cleaner and therefore more expensive fuels as of early 2015.

Head of Sustainability, Jacob Sterling, has said: “Air emissions are a serious issue in shipping and we support the upcoming regulation. We are, however, concerned about the level of enforcement in Europe.” Sterling also goes on to say: “The new regulation will be costly and without proper enforcement, some might be tempted to cut corners. This will erode the environmental improvements and create a commercial disadvantage for those that follow the rules.”

Customers have shown an increasing interested in Maersk Line’s sustainability performance also. Sterling comments that “we [Maersk Line] are proud to move their [customers] goods with a lower environmental impact year by year, thereby helping them delivery on their sustainability promises.” Maersk Line’s customers saved an approximate of 2.6 million tonnes of CO2 in 2013 by using the leading shipping company in comparison to using an industry-average competitor.