The GAC Group, a leading provider of integrated shipping, logistics and marine services, has become a member of the World Ocean Council (WOC), the international ocean business alliance for Corporate Ocean Responsibility.

It joins more than 80 WOC members from the shipping, shipbuilding, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, submarine cable, sectors, as well as the maritime legal and financial communities.

As an active WOC member, the GAC Group will support international initiatives that promote sustainable development and conservation of the ocean, and will continue to actively pursue developments that reduce the environmental impact of shipping operations.

Christer Sjödoff, the group’s vice president – Commercial, said: “The sea is our natural habitat, so it makes sense that we should do everything in our power to make sure it is sustained.

“The mission and goals of the World Ocean Council resonate well with our own determination to serve shipping and other sectors that use the world’s oceans in a way that protects and preserves the delicate marine ecosystem, and the environment as a whole.”

Paul Holthus, WOC founding president and chief executive officer, said: “We are proud to welcome GAC to the growing WOC global alliance of leadership companies, which is generating significant interest from companies in the Mideast and Asia.

“GAC is exemplary of the companies that have a long term commitment to sustainability and are proving it by developing innovative business solutions to reduce industry impacts on the marine environment and improve shipping safety and efficiency.”

GAC’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated through its efforts to develop services like HullWiper, GAC EnvironHull’s diver-free underwater hull cleaning system that reduces fuel consumption whilst protecting the sea from contamination by removed fouling, alien species and chemical or toxic substances, said the statement.

Further, GAC-SMHI Weather Solutions – a strategic alliance between GAC and the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) – provides ship owners and operators with valuable tools to plan their routes to avoid heavy weather, thus boosting fuel efficiency and reducing the risk of a loss at sea and the resulting ecological and material costs.
 
“As a Group, GAC takes the long-term view for sustainable results. We depend on the seas for a large part of our business, so it is our joint responsibility to ensure that the oceans are protected today, tomorrow and into the future,” said Sjödoff.  

“We also look forward to the 3rd WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit, held in Singapore from 9-11 November 2015, and encourage other leadership companies to be a part of this unique multi-industry conference on Corporate Ocean Responsibility,” he added. - TradeArabia News Service