Panama Canal says it cut 13 million tons of CO2 last year
The Panama Canal Authority said that they helped reduce carbon dioxide emissions by millions of tons and continue to do so.
By Michael McGrady, Maritime Direct Americas Correspondent
Since the Panama Canal offers a shorter shipping route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans into the CARICOM, vessels’ amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has declined immensely.
The Panama Canal Authority said that the canal’s operations contributed to reducing more than 13 million tons of CO2 emissions in 2020 alone. Compared to other routes, this is monumental, as the authority notes.
“The Panama Canal has long looked for ways to provide greater value to customers beyond serving as a shortcut, with environmental benefits at the forefront of that effort,” said Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, the administrator for the Panama Canal Authority, in a press statement. “Our goal is to help customers create more sustainable supply chains.”
“By publishing this data each month, we aim to be more transparent about how the Panama route helps shippers reduce emissions with each transit and track our own growth as a green route for global maritime trade,” Morales adds.
