Macron Calls on Shipping Lines to Shun Arctic Route
https://gcaptain.com/macron-calls-on-shipping-lines-to-shun-arctic-trade/August 25, 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron is calling on container lines to avoid using a new Arctic shipping route to protect the environment.
Speaking at the start of the Group of Seven summit in Biarritz in southwest France on Saturday, Macron said France’s biggest shipping line, CMA CGM, has committed not to use the so-called Northern Sea Route being promoted by Russia as a faster way to ship cargo between Asia and Europe.
“Many people today are explaining to us: global warming, tremendous news, the ice will melt in the north, we’ll open a much quicker route, it’s great,†Macron said. “This route will kill us in the end, because this route may well be quicker, but it is the consequence of our past irresponsibility.â€...
...Russia is betting on growth in cargo shipments along its northern coast and is aiming to free up the passage all-year round using a new fleet of nuclear icebreakers. While the route is currently closed for about half the year due to thick ice, A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, the world’s largest container line, completed a test run last September....
