GoodShipping and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are conducting a joint campaign to inform shippers of the ‘insetting’ concept, so that they can have part or all of their sea freight transported via sustainable fuel.
While freight importers and exporters generally have little influence of the container shipping company’s fuel choice, the ‘Switch to Zero’ campaign aims to get 20 sea freight shippers on board.
The aim is for joint vessel bunkering with these shippers to reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by 2023 tonnes.
This is comparable to the amount of carbon released when transporting some 15,000 teu containers between Rotterdam and Gothenburg.
Insetting does not involve achieving carbon reductions through compensation (offsetting by planting trees, for example) but through shipping using sustainable fuel.
Shippers often transport small numbers of containers on different vessels and can use insetting to purchase a certain amount of carbon reduction via GoodShipping.
The Dutch company aims to achieve this by providing a vessel with sustainable fuel. This does not need to be the same vessel on which the containers are transported.
Swinkels Family Brewers, known for brands including Bavaria and Cornet, and Dille & Kamille are the first to announce their participation. They will have some or all of their containers shipped using sustainable fuel next year.
Allard Castelein, Port of Rotterdam Authority CEO, said: ‘Shipping is not yet on schedule to be carbon neutral by 2050. We are working with partners to develop a range of initiatives to help make logistics more sustainable: from battery-powered inland shipping to shore power for sea-going vessels, and from bio-kerosene production for aviation to so-called Green Corridors for sea-going vessels.
“The 2023 tonne reduction through sustainable fuel use is just the start. We want to show that it can be done and start the discussion, with the aim of scaling up and reducing carbon emissions even further. The transition tempo needs to step up.”
Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO of GoodShipping, stated: ‘We’ve seen a huge acceleration in the pace of the energy transition brought about by shippers over the past two years, which is why we want to give more companies the opportunity to have their freight shipped sustainably.
“With the Switch to Zero campaign, we’re making it easy for companies to enhance the sustainability of their transport without complex supply chain adaptations.”
Participating companies can opt for carbon reduction of 75, 100 or 125 tonnes.
GoodShipping and the port authority are offering discount per tonne carbon reduction to make it attractive for companies to find out more about this approach.
The insetting provider already works for companies including DHL, IKEA, BMW, Tony’s Chocolonely, Beiersdorf and Kings of Indigo.
The fuel is produced from certified sustainable flows including frying oils and animal fats that are labelled as 100% waste and cannot be used in higher grade products.
These so-called advanced biofuels also do not compete with the food chain and production does not affect important ecosystems such as the rainforest. This is monitored by an independent sustainability board.
