MLIT Awards 2008 Eco-Ship Modal Shift Project Supporters of the Year

The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) announced on January 26, 2009, the winners of the fiscal 2008 award for best supporters of eco-ship modal shift projects. The award ceremony was held on February 4, 2009, at Kaiun Club to honor 12 cargo shippers, including Nippon Paper Group, Nissan Motor Co., Suntory Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corp., as well as 12 logistics providers who had proactively used maritime transport and thereby contributed to the enhancement of shipping efficiency and the reduction of environmental loads.

The modal shift strategy aims to curb carbon dioxide emissions in freight transport by shifting shipping modes from trucking to maritime and rail transport, which are more economical and efficient means of mass transport. By changing the transport mode from road to maritime transport such as ferries or roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships, the amount of CO2 emissions per ton-kilometer can be reduced to one third or even to one fifth that by truck. One ton-kilometer is a unit of measurement used in transport, representing the transport of one ton of goods over one kilometer.

Aiming to further promote the shift in freight transport modes to sea by involving maritime transporters and cargo shippers, the ministry established the Eco-ship Modal Shift Project Executive Committee in July 2008. The Eco-ship Modal Shift Award winners are authorized to display the Eco-Ship Mark, a symbol of environmentally friendly contributors through maritime transport, on their products, catalogs, vessels and equipment.

Japan Readies 2004 Action Program for Transportation Modal Shift (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/025678.html

Posted: 2009/05/10 06:00:15 AM