GAC Becomes First Ship Agent In UK To Join Green Award Foundation

GAC is the first ship agency in the UK to evidence its commitment to the environment by signing up to the Green Award (GA) Foundation. Under the scheme, GA-certified ships that use GAC’s ship agency services at ports around the UK can claim a 10% discount on the company’s agency fees. Green Award promotes best practices and elimination of sub-standard shipping to maritime organisations and companies on a voluntary basis. Participating ports and maritime service providers provide incentives for vessels through the scheme, to achieve a safer, greener and sustainable future.

Herman Jorgensen, Managing Director at GAC UK, said: “GAC UK has taken numerous measures to promote sustainability in its business and beyond. We welcome initiatives like Green Award which are good for the environment and great for business, too. Signing up to Green Award underlines our commitment to improving the environment by supporting shipowners and operators who share the same ethos, recognizing and rewarding companies with a 10% reduction on GAC UK ship agency fees.”

GAC UK handles around 7000 calls at ports around the UK every year and is part of the GAC Group, one of the world’s largest ship agencies. GAC UK is the fourth GAC company in Europe to join the Green Award incentive scheme; GAC Belgium and GAC Netherlands signed up in 2015, followed by GAC Greece in June this year. On a Group level, the yearly GAC Chairman’s Award for HSSE Excellence rewards initiatives taken by GAC companies to reduce their environmental impact and boost safety and security.

Green Award Chairman Dimitrios Mattheou, accompanied by Executive Director Jan Fransen, wholeheartedly welcomed GAC UK into the certification scheme at a celebratory client event in Athens, Greece.

Handing over a Green Award plaque to Herman Jorgensen, Mr Mattheou said: “At Green Award we aim at promoting high safety, quality and environmental standards within the maritime community on a voluntary basis. The realization of the importance of having a strong will to change for the best, to support the best practices and excellence in shipping, is crucial for achieving sustainable results. We are glad that GAC Group, which is a perfect example of such a strong will, is so consistently committed to this approach and enrols its fourth agency to Green Award. It is unique as they are the first and only ship agent with 4 branches in our system. They demonstrate their dedication to Corporate Social Responsibility principles and contribute to the recognition of frontrunners of the maritime industry.”

Press Release: GAC Group

Photo Courtesy: GAC Group