Tiger Cool Express recently partnered with the nonprofit Carbonfund.org Foundation to offer a carbon-free, temperature-controlled intermodal service dubbed the Tiger Cool Express CarbonFree Load program.
For customers who ship carbon-free loads, Tiger Cool will calculate and obtain carbon offsets for each CarbonFree Load sufficient to offset the carbon generated by the rail service, drayage and reefer unit in transit, the company said.
“In addition to service quality, reliable capacity and cost savings for customers, our intermodal service allows customers to substantially reduce their supply chain’s environmental impact with the most environmentally friendly transport mode for cross-country shipments,” said Steve Van Kirk, CEO of Tiger Cool Express.
“Our CarbonFree Load will support customers who want to further decrease their environmental footprint.”
The company said requisite carbon offsets will be calculated on the unique routing for each shipment.
“An equivalent cross-country truck shipment generates two to four times the amount of carbon produced by one of our intermodal loads, and the cost to lower net carbon to zero will only add 1-2% to the landed cost,” Van Kirk said.
The proceeds from the carbon offset will support top-quality, verified projects selected in partnership with Carbonfund.org, Tiger Cool said. The initial offsets will be directed to the Russas-Valparaiso Projects in the Amazon, which are forest conservation projects otherwise known as a Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) that have been verified to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS).
The projects are designed to protect approximately 170,000 acres of tropical rainforest and mitigate the release of approximately 3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, while also preserving the habitat for an extraordinary amount of biodiversity and directly benefitting local communities.
“The environmental benefits of intermodal relative to truck are well-recognized,” said Eric Carlson, president of the Carbonfund.org Foundation. “We believe the CarbonFree Load service will be a greener option for time-sensitive, long-haul shipments of temperature-controlled freight.
“We commend (Tiger Cool’s) efforts in providing customers the opportunity to mitigate their climate impact.”
