Bolloré Logistics joins French shippers looking at sailing ships

Bolloré Logistics has joined the Shippers’ Coalition for Low Carbon Maritime Transport.

The association represents shippers whose goal is to encourage the industrial use of alternative propulsion solutions, such as wind-assisted propulsion.

France Supply Chain and the Association des Utilisateurs de transport de Fret (AUTF) (the French shippers’ group) formed the association in early 2022, and put out a call for tenders in early February 2022 for operating transatlantic routes between Europe and North America using essentially wind-powered container ships. They will begin in 2024 with the aim of cutting CO2 emissions in half compared to conventional shipping.

French firms Groupe Avril, Bontaz, Coty, Gerflor, L’Occitane Group, Groupe Rocher, La Fournée Dorée, Massilly, Michelin, Moët Hennessy, Nestlé Waters, and Remy Cointreau have also signed on to the coalition.

“Bolloré Logistics is a leader in global maritime transport. That is why it is essential that we play an active role in decarbonising maritime freight transport. Maritime transport of goods accounted for three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 and is set to reach 10 percent by 2050. By joining this association, we want to be proactive and to head in this direction for the long term”, said Irwin Lefebvre, Bolloré Logistics’ Ocean Procurement director.

In 2018, the company launched its CSR program, “Powering Sustainable Logistics” with a goal of reducing its scope 3 CO2 emissions generated by the execution of transport by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2019. The company is aiming to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions linked to its activities and to support its customers towards carbon neutrality in their supply chain.

Bolloré Logistics has a network of 603 agencies in 111 countries.