EV Cargo joins Kuehne + Nagel in pledge to protect Arctic

EV Cargo Global Forwarding has added its name to a pledge to protect the Arctic and not intentionally route ships or send goods through the region.

The Artic Shipping Corporate Pledge has the support of big name firms such as Hapag-Lloyd and Hudson Shipping Lines, Kuehne + Nagel, H&M Group and Puma and is in response to an increasing use of shipping and tourist routes along the Russian and Canadian Arctic coasts.

Clyde Buntrock, EV Cargo Global Forwarding chief executive, said: “The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, and last year sea ice declined to its second-lowest minimum on record.

“Although shipping accounts for just 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, increasing vessel traffic in these areas risks an increased possibility of accidents, oil or fuel spills and exposing vulnerable wildlife and communities to new risks.”

Buntrock added that the EV Cargo group also intended to explore ways to reduce emissions by global shipping through end-to-end supply chain optimisation and packing efficiency through its packaging optimisation programmes.

The Arctic Shipping Corporate Pledge was co-founded in 2019 by Nike and Ocean Conservancy.