Agility Logistics, a global logistics provider, signed an agreement with Maersk Line, to cut CO2 emissions by 15 percent per container transported for Agility shipments by 2020.

The agreement is part of Maersk’s Carbon Pact Challenge, an initiative under which Maersk Line and its key customers work together to drive down harmful emissions and reduce the environmental impact of container shipping.

As part of the agreement, Agility and Maersk will look for ways to cut emissions by shipping cargo on more fuel efficient ships, optimizing shipping routes, and taking other alternative steps to reduce CO2 emissions such as investigating how to integrate CO2 emission indicators into the regular business information flow and procurement of ocean shipping.

“Responsible companies are looking for innovative, commercially viable ways to reduce the impact of their business on the environment,” said Cas Pouderoyen, Agility Senior Vice President for Global Ocean Freight. “In Maersk, we have one of the most creative and committed partners in the shipping industry. Our Carbon Pact partnership with them will benefit Agility customers and the planet.”

The International Maritime Organization says ocean shipping accounts three percent of the world’s global CO2 emissions and 10 percent of global CO2 emissions from transportation.

Agility and Maersk are both members of the Clean Cargo Working Group, an international coalition of logistics providers, ocean carriers and retailers committed to improving the environmental performance of marine container transport. This group also defines and establishes the industry standards on how to measure and calculate environmental impacts, which again enables companies such as Agility and Maersk Line to further integrate sustainability improvements in our companies as well as credible measure our performance improvements.

“At Maersk Line we believe it is a great step in the right direction when customers such as Agility commits to further integration of sustainability into the business relationships,” said Mads Stensen, senior global advisor on sustainability at Maersk Line. “This shows that sustainability practices makes good business sense.”