Did you know that shipping makes up almost 80% of the entire volume of world trade? Yes, we’re telling the truth! Although the maritime sector is a global titan, it faces quite a large number of issues relating to the environment. In this blog written by our team here at Mac Logistics Liverpool, we are going to go over the main negative effects that climate change has on the shipping industry.
The Main Negative Effects
High Risk Of Port Damage
The rising sea levels mean that the infrastructure of ports around the world is at risk. For obvious reasons, ports are situated at sea level. This means that when the water rises enough to be above the port itself, the entire port could be covered and destroyed; while it is important to remember that the rise of the sea level is quite slow, it’s happening every single day and will soon be an imminent threat.
A lot of ports only have security plans for up to 10 years, then nothing after that. Having this outlook is detrimental to the safety of the port infrastructure and completely disregards the fact that infrastructure is designed to be sturdy enough to last several decades at least. As it stands right now, the threat of port destruction by rising sea levels cannot be completely eliminated.
More Costly Operations
When it comes to repairing facilities or completely relocating them, a lot of unplanned costs can occur. The expenses won’t stop there either; temperature levels are continuously rising, which means that refrigeration costs will also rise to combat this. Conditions that are quite harsh, such as long periods of bad weather can also lead to longer journeys and less cost-effective shipping routes. Lastly, torrential rainfall can delay other tasks that are essential to sea freight, the loading and unloading of cargo when they reach their port being only one of them.
Less Demand For Services
Drought and intense heat mean that growing crops becomes an extremely difficult and increasingly less-sustainable task. In fact, it has been theorised that natural products such as wheat, soybean, and corn will significantly decrease in numerous American states over the next few decades. When you think about this, it seems crazy because of the international powerhouse that the U.S.A. actually is when it comes to the shipping and distribution of products across the globe.
Lessened Productivity
In combination with storms and flooding, the rise in sea levels is especially harmful to the safety on land. What’s more, damages won’t just be limited to the infrastructure of ports; floods and bad storms can also affect the operations of various ports too. For example, labourers who work in the port won’t be able to do so, meaning income loss could occur.
Eco-Conscious Freight Services
At Mac Logistics Liverpool, we are proud to say that we are extremely eco-conscious and offer all of our freight services with the environment in mind. If you want to know how we can help you with your freight or distribution needs, you can give us a call on 07791 801896. We would love to hear from you and assist you with whatever it is you require, get in touch with our fulfilment centre today.
