Trelleborg aligns with U.N. 'Sustainability by Design' initiative

TRELLEBORG, Sweden—About 90 percent of global trade occurs by sea, and international shipping accounts for about three percent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Trelleborg A.B.

As such, Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure is further defining its role in overall sustainability efforts with "Sustainability by Design," a multi-pronged approach that is informed by the United Nations' 17 "Sustainable Development Goals."

"Climate change is a clear threat to the world," said Richard Hepworth, president of Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure. "Scientists tell us that we will face its devastating impact if nothing is done to limit temperature increase to 1.5-degrees Celsius by 2050.

"With increasing stakeholder expectations and regulations, such as the International Maritime Organization Greenhouse Gas Strategy 2050, the maritime industry finds itself at a pivotal point in the debate around sustainability."

The 17 climate goals defined by the U.N. concern consumption and production; affordable and clean energy; innovation and infrastructure; and sustainable cities and communities, among many others.

Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure cited its AutoMoor and DynaMoor systems, port mooring solutions that enhance efficiency in overall port operations by optimizing berth space. This, in turn, reduces a port's carbon footprint.

AutoMoor, in particular, is an automated, rope-free system that was installed at one of the busiest harbors in the world, the Port of Tallinn's Old City Harbor in Estonia, Trelleborg said.

"We continue to contribute heavily toward green investments and new initiatives, both internal and external, to protect the essential via sustainability improvement," Hepworth said.

In addition, the company supplies its specialty seals for a major immersed tunnel project, an 11-mile corridor between Denmark and Germany that is intended to reduce city congestion and protect against rising sea levels.

The reduced travel time provided by the tunnel is estimated to lower overall emissions by about 200,000 tons of CO2 per year.

"Sustainability is climbing higher on the agenda of those across the maritime and infrastructure sector—and rightly so," Hepworth said. "Against this backdrop, we continue our sustainability journey with a renewed sense of purpose and focus, integrating sustainability at every level of the organization, underpinned by the belief that prioritizing sustainability above everything is the right thing to do."

Trelleborg has established an online hub for its sustainability efforts at trelleborg.com. The hub contains a video and other information on actions "having the most immediate impact."