Currently, 95% of goods traded between France and the UK are transported by lorry on ferries between Dover and Calais. A pallet on a ferry emits an average of 4kg of CO2 during its journey.
Have you ever considered how many pallets cross the channel every day? Would you be shocked to hear it is 135,000 pallets a day 😳. That equates to roughly 200,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
A new initiative is starting in October. A Franco-British team consisting of Groupe Développement Normandie, Comptoirs de Normandie, Orée Transport, Tompsetts Transport, Newhaven Enterprise Zone, Département de la Seine Maritime, Secrétariat d’État chargé de la Mer et de la Biodiversité, Newhaven Port and Properties and Shrub have organised a tall ship to start moving low carbon pallets between Newhaven Port (Sussex) and Le Tréport (Region Normandy), under sail, 3 times a week using less carbon (with a little engine power used to manoeuvre safely in the two ports.).
How you can help!
The tall ship is capable of carrying 66 pallets each way which is the equivalent of taking two truck loads of pallets off the C02 emitting ferry. One of the first low carbon pallets to be moved across the Channel will be a crowdfunded one. Sponsors are being sought to donate £25.00 or more towards the cost of transporting a pallet. The first 100 sponsors will be able to claim a free gift.
If you are able donate £100 or more you or your business can sponsor 1 of the 66 pallets crossing the Channel 6 times a week moving products in a low carbon way as opposed to dirty marine diesel. The pallet will have your chosen name on it and you will be saving the world’s atmosphere from between 11 kg and 17 kg of C02 on every crossing of the Channel.
Climate change has many downsides. But stronger winds means more power to sail power! Imagine seeing this beautiful ship on the horizon three times a week off the Coast of Sussex!
What’s next?
Having created the first ever green shipping corridor between the UK and France, future plans are to increase the flow of products and pallets. There are two distinct markets in the movement of pallets.
- Ethical products ethically moved
- Products ethically moved
Further information on Shrub or to sponsor a pallet click here
Celebrating Seaford 