Hanjin Shipping Introduces New Carbon Calculator

Calculating your carbon dioxide emissions? There’s an app for that.

In December, Hanjin Shipping introduced its supply chain carbon calculator. Customers can use it to calculate the amount of CO2 emissions of their cargo per transportation segment – and in total – by inputting the origin, destination and weight of their shipment on the company’s Web site.

For example, 10 tons of cargo from Busan, Korea, sends about 1,500 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere on its 5,600-mile journey to Portland. Compare that to an estimated 4,000 pounds if shipped from Busan to an East Coast port. This can identify potentially better carbon deals based on the product’s final destination. This is useful for companies looking to account for and minimize their carbon footprint.

“The calculator is helpful to retailers by offering the ability to evaluate shipping options,” says David Breen, the Port of Portland’s air quality program manager. “That knowledge enables them to make cleaner and less emitting shipment choices for their cargo streams.”

Last summer, Hanjin announced the organization of a Green Management Team within the company as part of its efforts to improve energy efficiency. The international shipping company hopes to reduce CO2 emissions by 15 percent by 2015. The Port of Portland also plans to reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

The new calculator was developed with guidance provided by the Clean Cargo Working Group, a consortium of 27 manufacturers and shippers concerned with environmental stewardship, and verified by the Korean Register of Shipping.

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Hanjin Shipping’s Carbon Calculator