Maersk Line has released its 2012 Sustainability Progress Update, with the report showing strong progress on CO2 performance and container sustainability – although the group acknowledged that 'challenges remain' on workplace safety.
'Maersk Line’s energy efficiency improvements in 2012 have led to a remarkable achievement which we are very proud of – we have met our 25 per cent CO2 emissions reduction target eight years early,' said Søren Skou, CEO of Maersk Liner Business. ??
Earlier this year, Maersk Line announced that it will now go for a 40 per cent CO2 reduction per container kilometre by 2020.
The group's Triple-E vessels, which Maersk Line will start to take delivery of in mid-2013, will contribute greatly to reaching the new CO2 target for 2020.
Maersk stated that its customers are increasingly valuing sustainability performance, with the company witnessing an increasing number requesting sustainability data or engaging in dialogue on the issue. In 2012, Maersk Line’s customers saved 2.1m tonnes of CO2 by shipping with Maersk Line as opposed to choosing a shipping line with an industry average performance. ??
'We welcome and encourage this interest and hope to see much more of it in 2013,' noted Skou. 'An increased demand for shipping services with a strong sustainability profile will help drive industry-wide change, thereby enabling more sustainable global trade.'
However, it has been a less satisfactory year for workplace safety – while the frequency of accidents declined, Maersk Line experienced a total of four fatalities in 2012.
'Any fatality is unacceptable,' added Skou. 'Our target is to bring the number of fatalities down to zero, and we are working hard to minimise the number of work-related accidents.'
