International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI)'s Contecon Guayaquil (CGSA) in Ecuador recently handled the first carbon-neutral container shipment in the world.
CGSA's logistics process employed environment-friendly supply chain players, from the export to the port and distribution.
Carbon neutral-certified TropicalFruit Export SA, CGSA, and Societe International d’Importation (SIIM), both known for their sustainable development and environmental care principles, as well as strict compliance to clean technologies and neutralization of carbon footprints, participated in the operation.
The shipment of Ecuadorian bananas came from TropicalFruit, an Ecuadorian company certified as carbon neutral since 2015.
CGSA loaded the container to Antwerpen-bound vessel MSC Geneva.
CGSA, the first port operator in the Americas to obtain ISO 14064 carbon neutral certification from TUV Rheinland, applied the principles of environmental stewardship and use of clean technology to protect its surrounding areas.
CGSA’s certification and compensation process was performed locally by Sambito S.A.
The bananas were then distributed and marketed under the SIIM brand Selvatica.
SIIM, a French wholesale distributor of fruits and vegetables, is also involved in developing sustainable agriculture since 2014 through its foundation and is an advocate of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
“It’s such a source of pride for us that Contecon Guayaquil S.A., concessionaire of Guayaquil’s public port, has achieved this milestone, and that it has been the first to do so," according to Ecuadorian Minister of Transport and Public Works Gabriel Martínez.
"We weren’t wrong last year when we released USD170 million worth of investment for this port, and we signed the addendum to give them 19 more years for the concession,” he sdded.
The milestone demonstrates exporters can be competitive in the most exacting markets and at the same time, comply with global regulations to meet consumer demand for sustainable products.
The port authority of Guayaquil, Autoridad Portuario de Guayaquil (APG), awarded ICTSI a 20-year operating concession for the Container and Multipurpose Terminals in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2007.
In the same year, a contract was formally signed between APG and Contecon Guayaquil SA, ICTSI’s local operating unit.
The terminal handles containerized, general and bulk cargo.