Environment

Our focus is on reducing the environmental impact of our own and our customers operations, as well as addressing industry and societal issues in particular, climate action and marine litter and pollution.

In 2020, our head office in Lysaker, Norway was certified according to the Eco Lighthouse certification scheme.

Ship Management

Ship Management provides full technical management, crewing and related services for all major vessel types, and as such is in a good position to influence compliant, sensible, safe and environmentally sound operations for vessel owners.

To provide value to customers and reduce environmental impact, ship management works with customers to optimize vessel and voyage operations to reduce operational costs and emissions, offering purpose-built digital solutions such as Spark to enable this.  Ship Management’s ongoing goal is to collaborate with relevant partners to the decarbonisation of shipping, particularly in the development of alternative fuels including hydrogen.

Ship Management’s environmental management practices onboard are in compliance to Convention for Prevention of Marine Pollution (MARPOL), Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) and The International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness (OPRC).

Ship Management promote responsible consumption and recycling programs onboard and onshore.  The company is proactive in reducing plastics in vessel operations by introducing requirements towards suppliers and facilitating industry initiatives to reduce single use plastics in the maritime industry.  In 2020, crew on 96 managed vessels were provided with steel drinking bottles, and Ship Management actively supported the IMPA Save initiative calling for all owners and operators to do the same.  

Ships Service

Wilhelmsen Chemicals is located in Norway, a 12000m2 production facility with chemical tanks, storage facilities and a deep-water quay. The site does not produce chemicals, but rather brings in different components and mixes it to become products distributed nationally in Norway and globally through the ships service network. The operation is certified according to the ISO14001 standard and has focus on utilising chemical components that are less harmful to the environment, employees and customers; and addressing the plastic packaging and packing materials used for chemical distribution. 

Ships Service have also reduced the use of single use plastics through local initiatives in warehouses, for example optimizing plastic wrap settings for palletized cargo, and replacing plastic filling materials with recycled shredded cardboard.

Ships Service offers full agency, husbandry and protective agency services in 2 200 port locations.  During 2020, a visibility tool was developed to support vessel operators make informed decisions about the optimal location to land plastic and other waste. The tool initially covers 167 ports and will be extended to include other ports in the Ships Service agency network. The tool will be officially launched during 2021.

NorSea Group

NorSea Group has 9 bases covering 2 471 000m2.  When investing, developing and operating bases, environmental aspects and impacts are addressed in five key areas – infrastructure; machines and equipment; buildings; digitalization and improvement; and collaboration and new business concepts.

Bases set environmental targets and improvement projects based on their individual site risk assessments.  The operations are certified according to the ISO 14001 standard and focus areas include energy and emissions, waste and recycling, oil separators, tanks and chemical handling. 

Activities related to energy transition and emissions reductions include the installation of shore power; gradual electrification of the machine park; and supporting infrastructure development to contribute to the hydrogen and carbon capture value chains.  

Climate risk

Wilhelmsen remains exposed to climate risk on a general basis and related to specific group companies.

Physical risks related to the maritime services and supply services assets and operations, such as more extreme weather and rising water levels, are considered to be medium to long term risk.

Transition risk related to the group are considered to be more short to medium term. This includes regulatory, reputational, market, and technology risks.

The energy transition and the decarbonisation of shipping are the backdrop for the transition risks for the group, and also present significant opportunities.

The International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ambition coupled with the enabling measures for the EU’s green deal, other regional and local government’s climate measures and energy transition priorities, as well as the finance sector’s increased attention on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, all exemplify the changing landscape for Wilhelmsen and the group companies.

The work to identify, measure and manage climate risk will continue, building on the recommendations from the Task force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Environmental reporting and disclosures

Wilhelmsen are committed to climate action and have made significant investments to contribute to the energy transition and decarbonisation of shipping (see Business offering and model innovation in this report) . We also have localised activities in our offices and sites to reduce energy consumption and waste.  

In 2021, we will complete the required work to systematically account for and manage our group greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions inventory.  We will implement a common greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting framework and system for all entities where we have more than 50% ownership. In addition, we will establish appropriate GHG emission reduction targets to direct activities across our entities.

We will also implement a common waste reporting framework and system for all entities where we have more than 50% ownership, and establish appropriate targets to direct activities across our entities, guided by circularity principles.