CC&S News

MIT and CC&S add "Green value to the box".

CC&S Press room- September 22, 2008.

Keeping supply chain costs under control has been a difficult challenge during last years for container industry players. Now shippers and carriers are facing another challenge: limiting the environmental impact of the international goods movement.

Container Consultants & Systems (CC&S) will be working together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT-CTL) on a research initiative that CC&S has called 'Green value to the Box'. MIT-CTL research, initially sponsored by CC&S, will find out how optimization of the current container movement processes can reduce the actual carbon emissions of the movement of goods. The result of the study will contribute to finding the best options to reduce emissions during the entire circle of containerized cargo transportation. An example of similar research is the empty container movement optimization possible through the implementation of Mv-Fleet™, an innovative system to reduce empty container movements through collaboration developed by CC&S and implemented by several shipping lines. These studies will help shippers and carriers to communicate to customers and other stakeholders their efforts on carbon footprint reduction.

"The goal of Carbon-Efficient Supply Chains research project is to develop a methodology for characterizing the carbon intensity of supply chains. Such methodology can be used to characterize and compare supply chains, allow for benchmarking across industries and justify investments in reducing the carbon footprint of supply chains", said Dr. Edgar Blanco, Director of the initiative at MIT-CTL.

As a research partner, CC&S will actively cooperate in the case-study development, providing facilities and people, and hosting pilot implementations of new processes and other innovations.

CC&S's CEO Harm Jansen stated: "I believe that our commitment to helping shipping lines to transform the freight transportation into an outstanding industry is becoming a reality with such efforts like the Carbon-Efficient Supply Chains studies that MIT-CTL is leading. Recently I heard an expert saying "You are only as green as your supply chain", his analysis arrived just on time for the beginning of our research. I think that the shipping industry, by cooperation among its players, can have a considerable impact on this item. I invite more players in the industry, as port associations, shipping groups and other organizations to unify efforts and join the MIT-CTL research initiative as it is now the right time to approach this issue in a proactive way".