CMA CGM has been awarded the 2025 Green Marine Europe label, confirming its role as the first major container shipping line to join the program and demonstrating consistent leadership in maritime environmental performance.

The Group equips its fleet with innovative systems such as UV-based ballast water treatment, invests nearly USD 20 billion in LNG and methanol-powered vessels, and advances real-time optimization through its SmartShip program.

With a Net Zero Carbon target by 2050, CMA CGM follows an “energy-agnostic” path (biomethane, green methanol, hydrogen, electrification) while promoting biodiversity protection and industry collaboration to shape future environmental standards.

Green Marine Europe

Green Marine Europe, the European maritime industry’s environmental certification program, presented its 2024 performance report at the Green Shipping Industry Day, in Brussels on September 24th, 2025.

Green Marine Europe represents a groundbreaking environmental certification program specifically designed for the European maritime industry. Launched in 2020, this voluntary initiative has emerged as a vital tool for guiding maritime companies toward environmental excellence.

The certification program addresses 11 key environmental performance indicators that target priority issues related to air, water, and soil quality, as well as circularity principle. These indicators include greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides and particulate matter (SOx & PM), oily discharge, aquatic invasive species, waste management, underwater noise, ship recycling, and spill prevention.

Green Marine Europe maintains strict standards through a transparent, three-pillar approach: annual self-evaluation, external verification every two years, and publication of results.

As of 2024, Green Marine Europe has expanded significantly, featuring 80 members including nearly 40 participants in the certification process, representing more than 530 certified vessels across 12 European countries. The program has recorded a 14% increase in participants in 2024, bringing the total to 37 certified members, including 32 certified participants (28 shipowners and four shipyards).

CMA CGM’s Green Marine Europe Results

CMA CGM has established itself as a pioneering force in the Green Marine Europe certification program, becoming the first major container shipping company to obtain the certification when the program launched in 2020.

CMA CGM has implemented several groundbreaking environmental measures that contribute to its Green Marine Europe performance. The company equips its vessels with innovative ballast water treatment systems based on UV rays without chemical additives, demonstrating technological leadership in marine environmental protection.

This environmental certification provides CMA CGM with a detailed framework to measure and reduce the environmental impact of its maritime activities, with the company actively publishing its results and participating in working groups focused on evolving relevant indicators.

The Group views Green Marine Europe as more than a certification tool—it serves as a platform for industry collaboration and knowledge sharing. CMA CGM actively participates in the program’s working groups and contributes to the development of performance indicators, helping to shape the future direction of maritime environmental standards.

CMA CGM Sustainability Strategy

CMA CGM’s sustainability strategy represents one of the most comprehensive and ambitious decarbonization programs in the global maritime industry, centered on achieving Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050.

The cornerstone of CMA CGM’s sustainability strategy lies in its massive fleet transformation initiative. The company has invested nearly USD 20 billion in ordering LNG and methanol-powered ships, with plans to operate 162 vessels capable of using low-carbon energies (biogas, biomethanol, and synthetic fuels) by 2029.

CMA CGM’s energy strategy embraces an “energy agnostic” approach, diversifying across multiple alternative fuel sources including biomethane, e-methane, liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, electrification, and green methanol.

CMA CGM’s sustainability strategy encompasses comprehensive operational optimization through advanced technologies. The company has implemented the SmartShip program utilizing artificial intelligence to improve vessel performance in real time.

Beyond decarbonization, CMA CGM’s strategy addresses broader environmental concerns through circular economy principles and biodiversity protection initiatives, including participation in programs like REPCET for cetacean protection, avoiding the Northern Sea Route to preserve Arctic ecosystems since 2019, and supporting science with Ifremer partnership throug Lora antenna installation on vessels for marine biodiversity behavior studies.

This comprehensive approach demonstrates CMA CGM’s commitment to transforming not only its own operations but contributing to the broader transition toward sustainable maritime transport, making the company’s Green Marine Europe certification a testament to genuine environmental leadership in the industry.
Source: CMA CGM