Matson unveils new environmental sustainability goals

US-based transportation and logistics company Matson has committed to reducing fleet greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and achieving net-zero fleet GHG emissions by 2050.

These are the company’s new long-term environmental goals unveiled in Matson’s Sustainability Report 2020 Supplement.

“We are committed to doing our part in helping the world decarbonize and limit climate change,” Matt Cox, chairman and chief executive officer, commented.

“We believe we have a responsibility to significantly reduce our carbon footprint by lowering our greenhouse gas emissions and our aim is to achieve these medium- and long-term goals by improving fleet and operational efficiency.”

“Matson is supporting efforts to create an industry-funded research and development program to accelerate zero-carbon fuels and technologies. While these transformative technologies develop, we will continue to focus on improving the efficiency of our fleet and terminal operations.”

Specifically, the company wants to reduce Scope 1 GHG emissions from its fleet by 40 percent by 2030 using a 2016 baseline. Matson selected 2016 as a baseline year because it was the first full year following its acquisition of Horizon Lines’ Alaska operations.

What is more, Matson believes that achieving net-zero Scope 1 GHG emissions from its fleet by 2050 is “a particularly ambitious goal”. Currently, there are no commercially available carbon-neutral fuels for use on ocean-going containerships nor the technologies to use such fuels or deliver them to terminals. As a member of the World Shipping Council (WSC), the Chamber of Shipping of America and the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, Matson supports efforts to create an industry-funded R&D program to accelerate zero-carbon fuels and technologies.

While transformative technology develops, Matson said it continues to focus on its fleet renewal programs and to retire older vessels, re-engining some ships to improve efficiency, and modernizing terminal operations.