Transport Desgagnés operates a fleet of 17 vessels carrying bulk liquid, bulk dry cargo and general cargo and is a participant in the Green Marine program, a joint Canada-U.S. initiative founded in 2007 that targets environmental issues, including greenhouse gases, cargo waste management, community impacts and environmental leadership. While Green Marine is a voluntary initiative, participants agree to undergo a rigorous external audit every two years performed by Lloyd's Registry Quality Assurance.

"Even if marine transportation is already the best mode to move goods from one place to another, the industry wants to be proactive," Says Côté. "As an early participant in the Green Marine program, Desgagnés thinks it is the best way to express its environmental leadership."

The company is supporting Environment Canada in short-term research projects to study the emission rates from marine vessels operating in Canadian waters. The vessels are studied while under way and sampled at different engine loads and fuel configurations, if available (various sulfur levels or intermediate and distillate fuels), for comparison purposes. The aim is to evaluate emerging strategies for improving marine vessel emission profiles, to determine current real-world emission factors and inventories for marine vessels operating in Canadian waters, and to develop sampling methodologies for quantifying marine vessel emission rates.

Typically, the main engine and an auxiliary engine are sampled for gaseous and particulate matter emissions. In addition, specialized instruments are used to look at black carbon emission rates and particle size distributions and number concentrations.

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Keywords: transportation management, green logistics, sustainable logistics, ocean transportation carbon emissions, Green Marine program