Recently, five major companies from the beverage and chemical industries announced collaboration on sustainability initiatives in the shipping sector. FrieslandCampina, AB InBev, AkzoNobel, DSM and Huntsman will join forces under the BICEPS (Boosting Initiatives for Collaborative Emission-reduction with the Power of Shippers) network to create momentum for sustainability improvements in shipping.
The group plans to “develop a common and concurrent approach to sustainability in their procurement of ocean freight and selection of carriers,” according to a BICEPS statement. It will also take steps to streamline compliance and reporting requirements of shippers to carriers. Other shippers are invited to join.
The collaboration supports the companies’ individual sustainability goals as well, such as AB InBev’s goal to reduce carbon emissions in its global logistics operations by 15 percent by the end of 2017 — a first for the brewing industry — and FrieslanCampina’s aim for climate-neutral growth throughout its chain.
The collaboration comes as the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) warned this week that maritime carbon emissions, which compose approximately 2.2 percent of the global total, could increase to over 5 percent by 2050 if left unchecked.
