In response to global climate crisis, and as per our sustainability targets, Arkas Maritime Group has taken proactive steps to measure its Corporate Carbon Footprint in 18 countries, including Turkey, Algeria, Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Tunisia, and Ukraine, using 2023 as the reference year. The project was announced to the Managing Directors of all offices during Arkas Line budget meetings in the first week of December 2023.
Arkas Maritime Group will be calculating Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in the beginning of 2024, and preparing for Scope 3 emission calculations for the following year. Targets for each scope will be established, and a long-term decarbonization strategy will be next in the pipeline.
Measuring CO2 emissions is crucial for shipping companies to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to the global effort of mitigating climate change. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), international shipping accounts for about 3% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. The IEA also highlights that the maritime shipping sector needs to reduce its emissions by almost 15% from 2022 to 2030 to align with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050. If no action is done, the shipping industry is projected to grow from 3% to 17% of all man-made carbon pollution by 2050, at the current rate of industry growth.
Therefore, it is essential for shipping companies to calculate their carbon footprint and take measures to reduce their emissions. In addition, the European Union has reached two important agreements concerning the inclusion of shipping in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the FuelEU Maritime initiative. It is clear that the shipping industry has a significant role to play in reducing global carbon emissions.
On January 15th, 2024, Arkas Maritime Group will conduct an international training session that will cover the measurement of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions for this year. The session will also provide guidance on which additional items need to be recorded in 2024 to measure Scope 3 emissions next year.