Environment

Marine transportation is the most efficient way of transporting goods in terms of energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.

As a matter of fact one sole ship of the size of those navigating in the Saint Lawrence Seaway has the capacity to carry the same quantity of goods as 301 rail cars or 963 trucks (source : Environmental and Social Impacts of Marine Transport in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Region (janvier 2013))

Additionally, rail and truck emit respectively 22% and 450% more greenhouse gases per tonne-km than marine transportation.

Globally, CO2 emissions from marine transportation only account for 2.6% of total CO2 emissions, and have even been declining by 25% since 2007 (source : Third IMO Greenhouse Gas study, 2014).

In Quebec, marine transportation is only responsible for 0.9% of all GHG emitted by the transportation sector and its emissions have decreased by 46% since 1990 (source: Inventaire de 2014 et évolution depuis 1990, Ministère de Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre le Changement climatique, en français seulement).

Despite such an exemplary environmental performance, the marine industry is facing several environmental issues to which it is continuously seeking out new and innovative solutions additionally to being already heavily regulated.