La Méridionale: Green Marine Europe certified

The Green Marine Europe label awarded to La Méridionale and renewed since 2020 rewards the concrete actions we have been taking for many years to reduce our environmental footprint.
Our commitments include: 
•    contribution to the Repcet scientific programme to protect cetaceans
•    electrical connection for our moored ships (Cenaq) when they call at Marseille, since 2017
•    signing the Maritime Transport Eco-navigation Charter under the aegis of the French Biodiversity Agency
•    ultraviolet treatment of ballast water

In 2022, La Méridionale is deploying on its ship Piana a solution that has been "tried and tested" on dry land, which is a world first for maritime transport: the Particle Filter.  

Launch of the Green Marine Europe label 

In 2020, the Alliance verte and Surfrider Foundation Europe joined forces to create Green Marine Europe, the first environmental performance certification for maritime transport in Europe.

Exported from the North American model, this voluntary certification programme aims to guide maritime industry players towards environmental excellence by targeting the major impacts associated with this activity: air and water quality, biodiversity and residual materials management. 

The shipowners participating in the Green Marine Europe programme are committed to a continual improvement process and are driven by a common desire to be ever more respectful of the oceans and the environment. 

A member of Armateurs de France and committed to more sustainable shipping in the Mediterranean, La Méridionale is a stakeholder in the development of the Green Marine Europe certification programme :

 "Armateurs de France has been fully involved in this robust and ambitious European programme since its inception, because it is a certification that supports shipowners in improving the environmental performance of their vessels, above and beyond the regulations. Certified shipowners are at the forefront of a European dynamic for the ecological transition of maritime transport. " Nelly GRASSIN, Head of Quality and Technical Affairs, Environment, Safety and Security at Armateurs de France.

A transparent and rigorous process

Green Marine Europe requires candidates wishing to obtain the label to measure their environmental footprint every year while strictly fulfilling the obligations of the following certification process:  

•  Self-diagnosis

The candidate evaluates its own environmental performance by awarding a score of 1 to 5 for the various criteria defined by the programme.

• External verification

The results are verified on the company's premises by an independent external expert accredited by Green Marine Europe.

• Publication of results

The results are published in a detailed report on the Green Marine Europe website. 

• Continual improvement

During its first year of evaluation, the participant must reach level 2 for at least one of the indicators, then demonstrate an annual improvement by one level for at least one indicator until level 2 is achieved for all the indicators.. 

• Certification

The "Green Marine Europe Certified" logo is attributed as soon as the participant meets the requirements of the certification programme.

Performance indicators

To obtain the certification, candidate shipowners must measure their environmental footprint and demonstrate continual improvement over the years in the 8 indicators defined by the programme.

Innovating for greener maritime transport

Continual improvement is in Green Marine Europe's DNA. Its certification programme changes regularly in accordance with scientific and technological breakthroughs in order to encourage best practice.

In agreement with maritime industry players, environmental NGOs and government agencies, the award criteria set by Green Marine Europe are regularly reviewed in order to stay ahead of existing or expected regulations.

In 2023, a total of 20 shipowners will take up the environmental challenges of maritime transport in order to be Green Marine Europe certified.