The award is given ‘to honour an institution, firm or individual who has made a recognisable contribution to the fight towards reducing the pollution of our oceans from maritime sources.’

The award citation acknowledged that the company significantly cut its sulphur dioxide emissions over a five year period. In 2004 Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics became the first major shipping company in the world to use low sulphur fuel. To date the company’s tough environmental policy has saved the world from 75,500 tons of sulphur dioxide emissions in a six year period between 2001 and 2006, a 33.6% reduction. This is equivalent to the amount of sulphur dioxide that London, a city of seven million people, emits over a five year period.

The Clean Seas Award also acknowledged the innovative and technological steps the company has taken, including its ‘green’ concept ship for the future ‘E/S Orcelle’, designed o produce no emissions into air or sea by using renewable energy sources, including the sun, wind and waves.

Other measures taken by the company, with the help of owners Wallenius Lines of Sweden and Wilh Wilhelmsen of Norway, include trialling of the first commercially viable system ballast water treatment system. PureBallast is an advanced oxidation technology system designed to prevent micro-organisms being transplanted from one region to another.