As proof of OOCL’s long-term commitment and achievements in meeting environmental objectives, Hong Kong’s home carrier has once again received the gold trophy in the 2019 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE) presentation via an online broadcast on July 3, 2020. This is the fourth time that OOCL received this top honor in the Transport and Logistics sector category.

The HKAEE is organized by the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC), Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR and in conjunction with nine local organizations including business chambers, industry bodies as well as social and environmental groups. As one of the most coveted environmental awards in Hong Kong, the HKAEE recognizes businesses and organizations that showcase leadership in environmental excellence and outstanding achievements.  The awards program also fosters benchmarking of companies’ green management towards best practices within their respective sectors and encourage companies to reach higher in their environmental performance and green innovations.

Over the years, OOCL has consistently been pushing forward with innovative and environmental initiatives while supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) in various aspects of the company’s work.  Some of these initiatives include the adoption and development of the latest technologies for operational efficiency, including OOCL’s green investments in the G-Class vessels that allows them to perform 48% better than the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) baseline requirement.  Furthermore, in the vast global supply chain network of data that needs to be processed, OOCL’s proprietary AI-facilitated Robo-advisor system can provide greater transparency and time-sensitive information to improve the quality of decisions being made for OOCL’s fleet operations, including the optimization of fuel consumption by taking the best routes as sailing and operational conditions change.

In terms of emissions reduction, OOCL had successfully moved forward into 2020 to meet the new Sulphur cap requirements as stipulated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) by primarily switching to the use of clean fuel for its fleet and exploring viable alternatives such as scrubber systems to reduce emissions. In this global initiative by the industry, it is estimated that 85% of Sulphur emissions can be reduced.

OOCL Hong Kong, one of the six G-Class green vessels, berthing at the Hong Kong port in Kwai Chung.
(See the OOCL Hong Kong in action on Youtube or Youku)

On behalf of OOCL, Chief Operating Officer Mr. Kenny Ye said: “We are very happy to receive this top honor for the fourth time, which is such a big encouragement for us. As an international maritime shipping company, OOCL has been contributing to many sustainable development initiatives around the globe and we are well recognized for our commitment and consistent efforts over the years. We will keep up with our sustainable development agenda and constantly pursue higher standards in environmental protection and innovation in the years to come.”