Shipping Sustainability
Sustainable shipping is a big topic, one that is growing more important as environmental impact issues become more widely addressed around the world. In many shipping industries, there is a long history of using dirty or non-sustainable fuel. This practice, while successful, is not sustainable for future generations. Especially with the problem of carbon emissions, many companies are having to look for healthier ways to conduct business in the future.
There are many businesses that have taken to switching the ways in which they operate to help with sustainable shipping. UPS and the USPS, for example, have been altering their existing forces to make their work safer for the environment. UPS has taken steps to ensure their fleets are operating in the most successful manner possible while still being kind to the planet. With navigation technology, they are able to pre plan all routes and eliminate unnecessary travel. They have also invested in a growing fleet of low-emission vehicles.
In the shipping industry, proper environmental practices are being introduced as well. The shipping industry is switching, as best it can, to new sources of energy in the quest to eliminate greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. They also work continually to prevent pollution to oceans. In addition, there has been a push toward better designs for ships with different materials that would require the usage of less fuel, as well as developing fleets of ‘eco’ ships.
While all of these things are helpful, the shipping industry still has a long way to go. Carbon emissions do still enter the atmosphere because of the work of the industry, and while it is unreasonable to expect all companies to be able to switch to different forms of energy overnight, it cannot be denied that something needs to be done. Financial incentives to businesses to switch to sustainable forms of energy have been suggested, as well as a multitude of other solutions. In the end, however, the industry is moving the right direction and we can only hope that it will continue to do so in the future.
