| Promoting Environmental Care |
We are continuously studying and applying new ways to care for the environment throughout the supply chain, from the latest technology in our containers to careful selection of vendors and improving our terminal operations.
OOCL has been a member of the Clean Cargo Working Group since 2003, and our mission with the group is to foster continuous improvement of environmental and social performance aspects of freight transport by sharing information and promoting best practices in the industry.
OOCL joined the Climate Change Business Forum (CCBF) in July 2008, as a Gold Member. Membership fees will be channelled into funding for research on emissions reductions and environmental protection. The CCBF is an initiative of the Business Environment Council (BEC) providing a unique leadership platform where Hong Kong business leaders discuss the impacts of climate change and the policies and regulations that will address it.
When OOCL charters in vessels, we conduct an on-hire survey to check all certificates and classification documents of the vessel in order to ensure the ship is safe and is environmentally friendly. We check specifically that there is no oil or waste pollution, and that fuel is used as efficiently as possible in order to reduce the amount of fuel burned, and simultaneously, reduce fuel emissions.
OOCL service providers and suppliers also go through an evaluation process where environmental items are counted as an extra “point” for selection. For example, those service providers who are ISO 14001 certified gain more points. Fleet management department communicates their SQE (Safety, Quality and Environmental Protection) policy to service providers as part of the evaluation.
All our ships have been painted with tribulytin free paint (TBT-free) since 2004, ahead of the mandatory ban in 2008. We also use both tin-free and copper-free paint. We are implementing a policy of all newbuildings being fitted with silicone-based foul release paint to protect the marine environment further.
All ships discharge ballast water, which can contain organisms that are harmful to the environment. We have a policy of exchanging ballast water in the open sea 200 nautical miles away from the nearest coast line and we have the aim of zero ballast water exchange at port. If discharge of ballast water is necessary, we inform the port authority in advance and record the amount of water discharge.
At sea, we incinerate waste onboard by using certified equipment, in accordance with MARPOL’s requirements. We operate “shore reception”, sending garbage ashore at cost.
The amount of individual oily waste (sludge) disposal is being monitored and we are seeking to reduce the amount of waste being generated.
The first week of July each year has been designated as OOCL Green Week to promote awareness about Environmental Care and to encourage colleagues to participate in meaningful activities in the areas surrounding their offices and in the communities in which they live. This includes activities such as tree-planting, resources reduction, and conservation projects.
Aboard OOCL manned vessels, shipboard training for safety and environmental protection is an on-going event. OOCL’s senior ship officers are trained by OOCL company managers in the importance of environmental protection and company policy and procedures (such as the Ballast Management Plan, the Garbage Management Plan and the Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plans), which are strictly followed. All other OOCL crew members are then educated and trained by their senior officers.
Additionally, ships’ officers and engineers attend a “Bridge and Engine Room Resource Management Course”, which has a chapter on safety, quality and the environment in which environmental protection issues are discussed.
All OOCL employees undertake basic training on environmental awareness, through learning the company’s core values, within the first few weeks on the job. This is a portion of the mandatory employee induction training delivered through the company’s learning platform ePeopleSmart.
We also have Safety, Security and the Environment training, which is mandatory for all staff and is updated and refreshed every two years.
Corporate environmental policies are communicated to all colleagues, either through our intranet or through functional, process and procedures training and cross-referencing, in order to comply with certified ISO procedures.
In all our offices around the world, we promote healthy air by having a smoke-free working environment, and encourage “office greening” by bringing in more plants. We monitor CO2 levels and maintain them at a healthy standard in our offices.
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