The CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, announced the launch of TEUs to Trees, an early container return incentive program designed to increase climate change mitigation in the United States while assisting in the overall effort to improve both the fluidity and velocity of the supply chain. The program will be in effect from October 1, 2022, to December 30, 2022, according to the company's release.
This new incentive program is an opportunity to reward customers for doing their part to increase equipment availability while also helping them offset their environmental footprint. The carbon credits CMA CGM will purchase on behalf of its customers will notably be used to expand U.S. forestry, support urban resilience projects in vulnerable communities and drive the creation of additional offset projects in the United States. Through this program, the Group also aims to partner with its customers and move forward together towards a more sustainable shipping.
In order to increase impact, CMA CGM has also expanded this new early container return incentive to cover both refrigerated and dry containers as well as every U.S. ocean terminal where CMA CGM receives empty containers. This enables shippers of all sizes and locations to offset carbon emissions and positively contribute to socio-environmental projects in the United States.
This newly launched incentive program is the third implemented by CMA CGM to encourage early pickup and return of containers.
CMA CGM’s new incentive program is projected to result in forest conservation and urban resilience projects in some of the United States’ most vulnerable communities.
Credits will be provided to CMA CGM customers that return both dry and refrigerated containers originating from nearly 20 Asian countries to CMA CGM-approved return locations in port cities throughout the United States (rail ramps not included).
Throughout the program, each applicable importer of record (consignee listed on the Bill of Lading) will receive:
2.5 tons of carbon credits per container returned during calendar days 1–4. To calculate the credit, CMA CGM will utilize EDI transaction data and will not require invoices or additional documentation from customers.
A progress report every 30 days. At the end of the program, customers will be issued an official carbon offset certificate for total credits earned.