Index rates container lines environmentally

Index rates container lines environmentally    Maritime consultancy SeaIntel on Thursday published a new index ranking the world's top 20 container lines on their environmental credentials.
   The Container Carrier Environmental Benchmark found Maersk Line was the most environmentally sound line, followed by Hamburg S'd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, NYK Line and MOL.
   Lines receiving the lowest three scores were China Shipping, Mediterranean Shipping Co., and PIL.
   The index rates lines on a five-point scale, taking into account numerous factors, including:
   ' Carbon efficiency of carrier's fleet.
   ' Age of vessels.
   ' Participation in major environmental initiatives.
   ' Voluntary use of low-sulfur fuel.
   ' Issuance of regular environmental reports.
   ' Whether carrier provides customers a carbon calculator.
   'Improvement of environmental performance is a gradual process, which takes an extended period of time,' the report said. 'This also signifies that environmental performance is not a matter of 'either you do it, or you don't.' Rather it is a process which takes an extended amount of time, resulting in slow and gradual improvement rather than sudden jumps in performance. With the wide spread in scores, carriers clearly are in different stages of improving their environmental performance.'
   SeaIntel Chief Executive Lars Jensen said the index is aimed at comparing carriers' environmental actions in a way never done before.
   'The most significant obstacle to comparing carriers' environmental performance is the lack of a common definition of what this performance entails,' he said. 'We have chosen a methodology which we believe is helpful to further such comparison. We also acknowledge that other choices could be made, which is why we are very transparent in putting forward both our methodology and the numbers behind it in our report.'
   The report is available at www.seaintel.com.