Our Global Commitment
OUR COMMITMENT TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
As a leader in the shipping industry, we are committed to making sustainability a priority. Port Liberty Bayonne is part of the CMA CGM Group’s family of terminals and is proud to embrace the CMA CGM sustainability approach, based on three pillars: Acting for People, Acting for Planet, Acting for Fair Trade.
Port Liberty Bayonne demonstrates our approach to Acting for Planet by continuing to protect the environment and wildlife in the communities where we operate and beyond. Our sustainability commitment is further evidenced by being responsible stewards of our waterways and the environment by improving our energy efficiency, reducing our existing footprint, investing in more efficient equipment, and decreasing overall emissions.
Acting for People, Acting for Planet and Acting for Fair Trade also means providing a safe and equitable workplace for our employees, stakeholders, and customers, mobilizing resources to take meaningful actions to protect biodiversity, and promoting local economic growth while supporting impactful partnerships with our community.
A Green Partnership
In Q4 2014, Port Liberty Bayonne joined Green Marine, a voluntary environmental certification program for the North American Marine Industry. The Green Marine certification process is rigorous and transparent: results are independently verified every two years, and each company’s results are published on Green Marine’s website. The program sets higher benchmarks for air, land, and water emissions than those set by government regulations so that as an industry, we can work toward a more sustainable future.
- GHG AND AIR POLLUTANTS
- SPILL PREVENTION
- COMMUNITY IMPACTS
- ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP
- WASTE MANAGEMENT
Port Liberty Bayonne continue to achieve the “Excellence & Leadership” level in almost every area. As we continue to upgrade our facilities and innovate our operations, we will continue to set a high standard across these criteria.
Port Liberty is a Climate Smart Certified Organization that has created GHG inventories according to the GHG Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (GHGP), an internationally accepted standard for greenhouse gas accounting.
Climate Smart is an award-winning training program that helps small and medium businesses in every industry create a greenhouse gas inventory then devise a GHG emissions reduction plan to take action and make change. Port Liberty Bayonne involves staff across all levels in the company in the planning and implementation of sustainability initiatives.
Results:
Port Liberty: 3% reduction in absolute emissions since 2015
Working together for something greater
But we can’t do this alone. Our collaboration with customers, port authorities, industry and community associations, vendors, and suppliers is what sets us apart from our peers and competitors. We don’t just implement new procedures within our own facilities, we challenge our partners and customers to similarly improve their operations.
Our Environmental Policy
As Port Liberty Bayonne continues to expand and increase capacity, sustainability and environmentally responsible practices will remain a core focus, both locally and globally. We are committed to supporting and protecting the communities in which we operate and have many successful initiatives in place at Port Liberty Bayonne that are already making a difference.
Our approach goes beyond just meeting the minimum legal regulations. We are continually pushing ourselves to proactively find ways to do things better like reducing fuel consumption and emissions, using resources wisely, and reducing our environmental footprint—all while maintaining our economic competitiveness.
Our Port Liberty terminals have developed an environmental, social and governance (ESG) Strategy focusing the company on 10 key criteria related to ESG best practices.
As our terminals continue to expand and increase capacity, sustainability remains a core focus in everything we do, from our operating procedures to the equipment we use
Reducing truck idling and dwell times
As leaders in the industry, we are working with our partners and stakeholders to find solutions that improve overall efficiency and operational safety. One of our key areas of focus is reducing truck idling and dwell times by introducing reservation systems, automated gate transactions, and night gate operations at some terminals. These initiatives not only alleviate congestion, they also help reduce noise, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollutants.
Energy efficient innovation
It takes a considerable about of energy to move containers and as such, electrical consumption at our terminals can be high. In order to offset the effect this might have on the environment, we have invested in technology that allows us to capture and reuse some of the energy used in daily operations. This enables us to reduce fuel usage while also reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and pollutants—even while our overall volumes are increasing.
Energy-saving LED floodlights also help reduce the consumption of electricity by remaining off until they are needed.
Preserving coastal habitats
Since so much of our business takes place close to delicate coastal habitats, we try to densify our operations within our existing spaces as opposed to using additional land. A key part in all of our terminal development projects is the restoration of surrounding water and land ecosystems.
During the recent Port Liberty Bayonne expansion, we created new tidal wetlands, preserved 16 acres of adjacent land along the Hackensack River, and planted native vegetation in order to help local marsh species thrive, manage storm water, and enhance the local landscape.
Our Safety Policy
Safety is our first priority
Everything we do revolves around safety and ensuring that anyone interacting with our facility is kept out of harm’s way. This approach has driven many of our recent innovations including the Port Liberty Bayonne expansion, which introduced semi-automated machinery, a redesigned gate complex, and remote operations centers. It is our belief that safety is everyone’s responsibility and we count on our employees, workforce, stakeholders, and customers to help us uphold our high standards.
Our Safety Pledges:
We will provide a safe, secure, and healthy environment.
We will train our employees to work safely and provide them with the equipment and information necessary to do so.
We will ensure that all work is performed safely, no matter how important or urgent.
We will ensure a continued and open dialogue with all business partners.
We will focus on the continuous improvement of our operations.
We will comply with all regulations and industry standards.
We will cooperate with all regulatory agencies.
We will prevent and investigate the occurrence of unsafe or illegal acts.
We will prepare and react promptly to an emergency situation.
A strong community means a strong future
We believe it is our responsibility—not only as a business but also as good citizens—to ensure the future of generations to come. We are committed to strengthening the local communities in which we operate and enriching the lives of those who live there—many of whom are employees of Port Liberty and the CMA CGM Group. Our many initiatives include buying and hiring locally, participating in charitable events, and protecting the surrounding environment and wildlife.
Our approach goes beyond just meeting the minimum legal regulations. We are continually pushing ourselves to proactively find ways to do things better like reducing fuel consumption and emissions, using resources wisely, and reducing our environmental footprint—all while maintaining our economic competitiveness.
Our Social Responsibility