Accolade for ABP's carbon reduction

In order to qualify for the award

,

ABP was able to demonstrate examples of its good carbon management such as the introduction of regional Resource Efficiency Groups that monitor

and

seek to reduce carbon emissions in all of ABP’s ports. Investments in new facilities

and

equipment have also shown to result in efficiencies: ABP’s Humber Estuary Services introduced three new pilot launches which use 15% less fuel than their predecessors. The

Humber Neptune

,

Venus

and

Saturn

took up duties in 2006. These were VT Halmatic built Nelson 48/50 class vessels costing £1.9m for the fleet. The 15m pilot boats

Neptune

and

Venus

replaced the older

Gem

and

Rover

,

while the Saturn

replaced both the

Alert

,

which was converted to a survey boat

,

and

the Callisto

,

which was sold around the same time.

ABP operates the ports of Grimsby & Immingham

,

Hull

and

Goole on the Humber

,

with ABP HES employing some 109 pilots in the region. In 2008

,

15

,

000 commercial vessels arrived into the Humber estuary

,

making some 30

,

000 river passages between them. Of these passages

,

nearly 20

,

000 required the services of an authorised pilot

,

so the reduction in fuel use makes savings for the operator’s pockets as well as the environment.

Harry Morrison

,

general manager of the Carbon Trust St

and

ard said

,

‘Both businesses

and

consumers share a desire for one credible way to prove an organisation has not only measured

,

but

,

actually reduced their carbon emissions year on year without the use of offsetting. The Carbon Trust St

and

ard provides this credibility

and

we encourage more organisations to follow ABP in making this commitment.’

Other initiatives by ABP include regional Resource Efficiency Groups which look at the carbon picture across the company’s ports

,

and

carbon efficient investments in new facilities

and

equipment.