Saving the Planet Means Being Green At Sea As Well:
One Company’s Proactive Efforts in Sustainability
By John Golding All of a sudden, the world seems keen to be green. Politicians are photographed on bicycles, prominent figures are making pledges to reduce or even stop their personal travel via air, and international corporations are publishing statements and updates on how they are reducing their carbon footprint. Sustainable development is a new concept, informed by growing levels of mass consumption and the effects that any irresponsible industry can have on the earth’s resources. Global warming and recycling are not new themes, but we finally are waking up to the stark reality that if we continue at such a rate the planet will not survive forever.
Because of its interface with land and sea, shipping is a unique form of transport and has a pivotal role to play in the development of sustainable practices. But the challenges are numerous. Shipping may currently be enjoying good times, but commercial pressure demands higher speeds and sleeker fleets, this means higher costs, not least in recruiting and retaining talented crew members. Pollution is also a major concern and countries like France are taking more serious measures against environment pollutions from incidents such as oil slicks. Since 2002, the court in Brest has handled 37 cases of illicit pollution and in 2004 it raised its fine for
such an offence to an average of £550,000, with commensurate prison sentences going up from two years to 10 years. The natural corporate reaction is to review policy and procedure to safeguard against illegality, whether intended or otherwise. Our business brings us into contact with all elements of sea life and the marine ecosystem. The environment is subsequently an important concern for us and as a result we have established a dedicated committee which meets on a quarterly basis to review the environment efforts of our business and to establish benchmarks. We have also put in place a dedicated ecology policy. A Switch-it-off; campaign throughout Global Marine, from ship to shore discourages redundant power usage such as idle computers and mobile chargers. Kettles, light switches, even light-bulbs have all been targeted alongside conventional wisdoms on recycling. Even our e-mails come with a postscripted question at the bottom: Do you really need to print this e-mail? However, this didn’t happen overnight - we took advice from the Carbon Trust and we are continually looking for new ways to save both power and energy. All the offices and warehouses at Portland where our UK ships are docked have 14