Contargo takes on ecological responsibility

The transport sector is responsible to a large extent for the consumption of finite resources and the emission of environmentally harmful gases. Thanks to our core area of business, combined transport, Contargo can practise climate protection and environmental conservation by taking transport off the roads and transferring it onto rail and inland waterways. By predominantly making use of the transport modes of barge and rail for the long-distance operations in our transport chain, we contribute to keeping the carbon footprint (i.e. associated CO2 emissions) of a container transport as low as possible. The CO2 information in our transport planner IMTIS gives figures which quantify this. However, we want to do more - it is our aim to implement further measures which will contribute to conserving environmental resources.

What ecological responsibility means to Contargo:

• Conserving resources
• Responsibility for our environment / continuous improvement of environmental protection
• Compliance with environmental legislation
• Using state-of-the-art technology
• Training employees
• Providing the general and specialist public with specific, comprehensive information

In concrete terms: what do we do?

Our sites are certified by TÜV Nord for compliance with the environmental management system DIN EN ISO 14001. A feedback control system is used to achieve continuous improvements in environmental performance. The cornerstone for this is an established environmental policy. Concrete aims, and the measures to achieve them, are fixed in the environmental programme. In addition, we have built up a system of environmental key performance indicators which enables us to measure environmental performance and identify potentials for improvement.

"Slow steaming" of inland vessels

This is a concrete measure already being successfully implemented by Contargo. Instead of hastening to their destination at the terminal at top speed and then 'hanging around' waiting to be processed, barges keep in continuous contact with the terminal and wherever possible reduce their speed so that they will arrive there 'just-in-time'. The slower speed saves gasoil - which is good for the environment - and also saves costs.

Green electricity in the Zwijndrecht office

Our office in Zwijndrecht already has it – and our other sites will be getting it over the next few years. In our office in the Netherlands, the electricity that comes out of the sockets is ‘ecological’ - meaning that it is obtained from regenerative energy sources.

In Germany 61 percent of electricity on average is derived from coal and other fossil energy sources at present, 22 percent from nuclear power and 17 percent from renewable sources. This pattern of energy generation has no future - obtaining energy from fossil energy sources is extremely damaging to the environment, and these sources are almost exhausted. A decision in favour of green electricity helps support the expansion of regenerative energies and speeds up the energy turnaround.