FRENCH shipping giant CMA CGM has announced it is joining the United Nations’ Global Compact on protecting the environment and moving to cleaner energy.
The announcement was made on the occasion of COP 25, the UN climate change conference in Madrid.
The Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, seeks to mobilise business and civil society around the promotion and practical implementation of sustainable development.
It is understood to be the largest international voluntary initiative of its type.
By joining the Global Compact, the CMA CGM Group is to continue working in such areas as pioneering commitment to the use of liquefied natural gas for big ships.
LNG cuts sulphur oxide and fine particulate emissions by 99%, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85% and CO2 emissions by around 20%.
By the end of 2022, the CMA CGM Group is set to have twenty LNG-powered vessels.
CMA CGM has also decided that none of its vessels will use the Northern Sea Routes in order to preserve the sensitive ecosystems of the Arctic.
CMA CGM was also part of a partnership to successfully test a latest-generation biofuel, made from recycled vegetable oils and forest residues, reducing CO2 emissions by 80% during the entire life cycle.
CMA CGM is a prominent player in Australian shipping and is the parent company of ANL and other operators in the South Pacific.
