Fashion firms are taking a stand against Arctic shipping
08/11/2019
The Arctic Shipping Corporate Pledge asks companies to pledge not to intentionally send ships through the Arctic Ocean, and fashion firms such as Kering, H&M Group, Li & Fung, Bestseller, Columbia, Gap and PVH Corp have made the commitment, as have ocean carriers CMA CGM, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd and Mediterranean Shipping Company.
Ocean Conservancy, which launched the pledge alongside Nike, said that although increasing the number of ships on the Arctic's waters could bring economic benefits, it could pose a risk to the area’s marine ecosystem, with dangers including increased pollution, ship strikes on marine mammals, the introduction of invasive species and oil spills.
Beth Wright, apparel correspondent at GlobalData, pointed out that passages such as the Northern Sea Route are appealing because they significantly reduce the time goods spend on a ship from Asia to Europe. But, she added, the benefits are not worth the potential damage.
“While northern shipping lanes are not yet economically viable,” she said, “the potential opening up of such passages could increase the devastating impact climate change is already having on this unique and remote environment.”
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