In Europe, going green is about more than just doing right by the environment – it is about profits. Going green is an important tool for carriers looking to improve their bottom lines.By Janny Kok, AJOTThe European transport and shipping sectors have discovered that it is nice being green. Retailers use environmental friendliness, as a marketing tool, knowing that choosing a low emission modality can be cost-effective as well. “Shippers are not only looking for low rates, but also for added value and quality,” European Shippers’ Council Secretary General Nicolette van der Jagt told AJOT. The European Commission has funded the project Carbon Footprint of Freight Transport (COFRET) in which twelve knowledge centers participate in a search for a methodology to indicate the CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions, throughout the supply chain. The 30-month long project aims to provide further solutions for reduction of greenhouse gases by 30% up until and including 2020 compared with the emissions registered in 1990. The various modalities in the transport sector could find the survey another financial burden laid on them to create sustainability, but scientists say that the outcome is likely to be more profitable than the current process. Investing in sustainable fuels, clean gases and propulsion can well be the incentive to choose for long distance transportation, rather than for costly production close to final destinations. Green Discounts Dutch knowledge center NEA expects that transport businesses, shifting from pollutive to clean fuels, will gain additional market share. Competitors are expected to follow the trendsetters, thus creating a cleaner environment. And that is exactly what policymakers want to get. NEA and other knowledge centers and other organizations point at the comparative advantage the maritime sector already has; that of being more efficient than land-based transport and aviation. Even in the present situation, in which shipowners are accused of deploying vessels propelled by pollutive fuels, shippers tend to shift from road haulage to intra-European shortsea and deepsea shipping. Again, being green can be rewarding, when shifting from land-based transportation onto waterways. The Port of Rotterdam Authority set the example years ago, when introducing what is called Green Award for clean oil tankers. The green awarded vessels could – and still can – rely on a discount on port dues. The port authority went a step beyond by announcing that the 25 cleanest ocean-going vessels arriving in the Port of Rotterdam have been granted a discount on port dues in this and next year. The port of nearby Dordrecht and Moerdijk, and further up Amsterdam, also grant discounts for the cleanest vessels. It is a push and pull action to achieve modal shift from land to waterborne transportation. Environmental Shipping Index The profitable measure for environmental friendly shipping lines is just the one effect of the Environmental Ship Index (ESI), introduced by the World Port Climate Initiative, under the auspices of the International Association of Ports and Harbors, in London last year. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is co-initiator of the index. Since 1994, the Rotterdam-based Bureau Green Award has certified clean and safe vessels. The certification procedure consists of an office audit and that of individual vessels applying for certification. The assessment focuses on crew, operational, environmental and managerial elements and many more. Those who pass the ‘exam’ can rely on discounts on port dues and other benefits in the ports in the Netherlands, Belgium, Lithuania, Latvia, Portugal, Oman, South Africa and Canada. Yet, not all shippers are convinced about favorable effects on accelerated introduction of stricter requirements on sulphur low fuels as stipulated by IMO and the EU for Northern European waters. The Dutch shippers organization EVO fears a negative effect on the climate, and competitiveness of ports in northwest E