“Many of our sustainable transportation programs and initiatives tend to become mode-centric, but it is critically important to optimize the overall sustainable freight transportation across modes from origin to destination, which requires a system of systems focus.”

That was the message to U.S. transportation industry and Government leaders from ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki at the Sustainable Freight Workshop at the White House.

Wiernicki emphasized the advantages of freight shipping and how it worked best by linking with other transportation sectors.

“Marine transportation has significantly lower emissions per ton-mile than other transportation modes, is the most cost-effective mode for freight, can move freight at a scale that other transportation modes cannot match, provides import and export options that other modes cannot reach, and often has less vulnerability to infrastructure damaging events such as natural disasters. However, marine transportation can be slower and has fewer delivery location options, which requires close partnership with other modes for safe, efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable transportation of freight,” he said.

Wiernicki added: “ABS’ approach is to work on the broader picture of cargo freight sustainability. The bottom-line carbon content of freight moving through the marine transportation and through the overall intermodal transportation system from origin to destination is a key measure of sustainability performance.”

The U.S. Maritime Administration’s Office of Environment and Innovation has selected ABS to establish and operate the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation under a five-year cooperative agreement. Authorized by the U.S. Congress, the Center is intended to support the adoption of clean energy on U.S. vessels through a wide-ranging program of research and development and training support.

The workshop heard how the center would be at the heart of the development of the future of sustainable U.S. transportation systems.

“The Center is a new national resource that can play a key role in the envisioned industry-led, freight-focused partners working group proposed as a core objective for this workshop, and the Center is a key resource to help support public and private implementation of the freight modal plan for maritime,” said Wiernicki

The Sustainable Freight Workshop is organized in collaboration with industry, environmental organizations, and government including the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. The workshop brought together representatives across the freight sector representing the maritime, rail, and trucking industries, state and federal government, utilities, infrastructure providers, ports, and environmental and labor organizations.