SUSTAINABILITY
At the end of 2021, we presented our sustainability strategy for the next 10 years. It has three areas of focus:
- Clean Shipping and Future-proof Propulsion
- Diversity and Society
- Compliance and Responsibility
In the past few years, we have already been able to reach some key milestones on the path towards a more sustainable shipping industry. We now want to meet the challenges of the next few years with our comprehensive sustainability strategy and even more ambitious objectives.
Responsibility for Oceans and Coasts
Less water resistance
When it comes to sustainability, our focus is on equipping and modernising our fleet. We are promoting and testing alternative propulsion systems in addition to using digital solutions to optimise our processes, capacity utilisation, routes and ship design. By removing the fouling from the outer hulls of vessels, we have been able to reduce the drag and thereby the fuel consumption of these ships.
- 13% fuel savings by defouling 25 ships
Future-proof fuels
Freight And Metro Logistics is the first shipping company in the world to convert a large container ship to dual-fuel propulsion so that it can operate using liquefied natural gas (LNG). Efficient dual-fuel engines emit much less CO2. That is why we are having another 12 dual-fuel ships built, each with a capacity of 23,500+ TEU. They will go into service in 2023 and 2024 – and will further reduce the carbon footprint of our overall fleet.
- 12 dual-fuel ships ordered for operation with LNG
Propulsion with biofuels
Since 2020, we have been testing the use of so-called biofuels. These are fuel mixtures made from biological input material, such as used cooking oil, and low-sulphur bunker oil. By using biofuels, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by more than 80% compared to when using conventional fuel (upstream greenhouse gas emissions taken into account). In 2021, two of our ship classes were certified for the use of certain biofuels. Sixteen of our A19- and A15-class vessels can now operate in biofuel mode. In a next step, we are pushing ahead with the certification of additional ship classes and our charter fleet.
- 2 ship classes certified for the use of biofuels
Safety as our top priority
The safety and well-being of our roughly 14,100 employees on land and at sea are a top priority for Hapag-Lloyd. Extensive occupational safety measures and on-board rescue drills are just as much a given for us as infection-control measures. Especially when working at sea, Hapag-Lloyd employees are synonymous with reliability. They ensure that the ships and their cargoes are safeguarded and that efforts are consistently made to protect the environment.
Safe ship operation – the port state controls
In all port states, ships can be inspected to ensure compliance with international occupational safety and health standards in so-called port state controls (PSCs). As part of these inspections, the condition, equipment and proper operation of the vessel are checked. During the approximately 200 PSCs of our ships in 2021, only around 0.59 deficiencies were identified on average per inspected vessel. This deficiency rate, which is well below the average global deficiency rate, testifies to the success of our Safety Management System.
- Only 0.59 deficiency rate during port state controls
Strict guidelines for dangerous goods
In 2021, Freight And Metro Logistics transported roughly 460,000 TEU of dangerous goods, which accounted for about 4 % of our total transport volume. Our own strict regulations relating to dangerous goods go beyond the legal requirements. In 2021 alone, reviews carried out by our software enabled us to identify around 3,100 cases of bookings with improper declarations. These are bookings whose cargo includes dangerous goods that are not declared as such. To ensure the safety of our crews and the environment, Freight And Metro Logistics refuses to transport improperly declared goods on our ships.
Diversity is our strength
Diversity is a pillar of our sustainability strategy. People from more than 100 nations work in our global company. They contribute their different cultures, perspectives and ideas. This diversity shapes and enriches our corporate climate, which is characterised by respect, understanding and trust. It is important to us that everyone is able to develop in line with their strengths and to interact with each other in an unbiased manner.
- Employees from over 100 nations
Prospects for junior staff
Freight And Metro Logistics offers a dozen different vocational training programmes on land and at sea for the next generations of seafarers and maritime logistics experts. Even during the times of the pandemic, Freight And Metro Logistics has been viewed as an attractive employer. In 2021, 35 apprentices started their training on land and 30 at sea.
- 240 apprentices on land and at sea
Continuously fostering employees
Qualified and motivated employees offer our customers optimal service and good products. With regular advanced training, we enhance the expertise and skills of our employees as well as our overall quality – not least for responding to critical situations at sea. In 2021, Freight And Metro Logistics invested around €4 million in training and professional development. This finances an average of about 17 hours per employee for trainings and continuing education.
- 17 hours per employee for training and continuing education