Sustainable Shipping
DECARBONIZATION CMC PROPOSES A GREEN SHIPPING CORRIDOR IN THE GREAT LAKES BY JULIE GEDEON
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he Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) aims to explore the potential for a multi-stakeholder initiative to establish a new and innovative Canadian Green Shipping Corridor, incorporating a trial of the best of Canadian shipping. The industry could collaborate with government and research facilities to create a green shipping corridor in the Great Lakes where recent practices would be demonstrated. This would include the use of cleaner energy sources being put to the test and, as viable, used to reduce carbon. Ships and ports will require investment to expand the use of these transition fuels, as well as develop new propulsion technologies. “Marine is already the greenest mode with all domestic vessels accounting for only 0.59% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2019,” Bruce Burrows, CMC’s president/CEO, shares. “Moving
Photo Credit: Andrew Russell Photography
“MARINE IS ALREADY THE GREENEST MODE WITH ALL DOMESTIC VESSELS ACCOUNTING FOR ONLY 0.59% OF CANADA’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.”
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more cargo on inland ships offers the opportunity to significantly reduce overall emissions from the transportation sector — 68% of which is caused by trucks and cars.” Much has already been accomplished, as Canadian ship owners have invested over $2 billion in the latest eco ships, which provide an immediate and substantial reduction in GHG emissions from the previous generation of ships. The dedicated green corridor, on a port-to-port basis, would involve all parts of the marine supply chain. This would showcase, expand and test new technologies, infrastructure and policies, while establishing benchmarks and measuring carbon-reduction progress. For example, on the ships side, this could substantiate the feasibility of cleaner energy sources, such as hydroelectric power, biofuels, and possibly hydrogen, methanol or ammonia, within the geographical and operational realities of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region.
“Our industry is committed to netzero emissions by 2050, but this ambitious target cannot be achieved without government support,” Burrows emphasizes. “We’re encouraging government to become proactive, so we put funding towards lasting climate change solutions rather than reactive emergency relief.” MOVE MORE ON MARINE Marine has the potential to be a critical part of a new transport policy renaissance. “It’s now time to diversify inland shipping to ease delivery issues and decrease road congestion.” At a recent CMC decarbonization panel discussion, Serge Le Guellec, President/General Manager at ship operator Transport Desgagnés, urged governments and supply chain stakeholders to collaborate on decarbonization. “If we put just 10% of highway cargo onto the Seaway, how would it lower the overall footprint?”
