Jun 14 2008
Horizon Lines, Inc., the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company, today announced a wide-ranging corporate environmental initiative called Horizon Green. Environmental stewardship is a fundamental tenet at Horizon Lines, and the company has launched Horizon Green to better understand and measure freight transportation's impact on the environment, and to develop programs that incorporate increased environmental sensitivity and mitigation into Horizon's core operations.
"Horizon Lines is committed to protecting the environment and ensuring the safety and health of our associates and the public," said Chuck Raymond, Chairman, President and CEO of Horizon Lines, Inc. "Horizon Green will focus our environmental effort across the entire Horizon Lines organization."
Within the Horizon Green initiative, Horizon Lines is addressing four key areas.
Marine Environment
To protect the marine environment, Horizon Lines has established several programs in addition to compliance with the MARPOL Convention (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) and ISM Code (International Safety Management Code) created by the International Maritime Organization. These include vessel management controls and audits, ballast water management, waste stream analyses, low sulfur diesel fuel usage and marine terminal pollution mitigation plans.
Emissions
Horizon Lines is focused on reducing transportation emissions, including carbon dioxide, particulates, nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide, through improvements in vessel fuel consumption and truck efficiency, combined with the use of alternative fuels and more efficient transportation alternatives, such as coastwise shipping.
Sustainability
Horizon Lines believes in a long-term, sustainable approach to logistics management which will benefit the company, its associates, customers, shareholders and the community. Examples include reducing empty rail and truck backhaul miles through logistics network optimization, reduced fossil fuel consumption and using recycled materials to build containers.
Carbon Offsets
Freight shipping is a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global climate change. To address this challenge together with our customers, Horizon Logistics has introduced a new carbon offset shipping program, Aero Green, developed by Aero Logistics, Horizon's custom delivery and special handling division. Aero Green offers customers a carbon-neutral shipping solution through which retailers and manufacturers can purchase environmental credits that fund carbon offset programs, such as forestation and alternative energy projects.
More detail on each aspect of Horizon Green is available on the Horizon Lines website at http://www.horizonlines.com/horizongreen.asp.