April 5, 2006
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. ("K" Line) takes pleasure in having been recognized for its contribution to environmental conservation during 2005 by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners that has been staging a voluntary ship speed reduction program to curb air pollution from exhaust gas in certain designated waters.
The Long Beach Board awards Green Flags to individual ships and ocean carriers that comply with specified environmental conservation criteria, and among those receiving awards for year 2005, "K" LINE was among the top 6 out of 100 carriers, and the only Japanese line, that received Special Environmental Recognition as one of the Port's "greenest" vessel operators.
This is an entirely voluntary program in which ships calling at the Port are asked to observe a 12-knot speed limit within 20 miles of the Port (about 37 kilometers) in order to curb emissions of exhaust gas. During 2005, a total of 907 ships, completing 5,406 sea voyages in and out of San Pedro Bay, called at the Port of Long Beach, about 65% having voluntarily complied with the program's 12-knot speed limit that has been in place since 2001.
The Board awarded Green Flags to 333 individual ships and to 100 ocean carriers that had operated more than one vessel. Among the 100, Special Environmental Recognition was awarded to 6 carriers whose fleet fulfilled the following three criteria: (1) operated at least two of the "Green Flag" ships; (2) sailed 50 or more sea passages in and out of Long Beach; and (3) exceeded a fleet compliance rate of 90 percent.
"K" LINE Group received awards for 26 Green Flag ships making 294 callings at Port of Long Beach with a 94% compliance rate during 2005.
This recognition is evidence that the "K" LINE Group is firmly committed to exert ceaseless efforts for achieving each environmental preservation goal defined in our own company program, as well as being strongly determined to cooperate with environmental preservation efforts carried out by other parties such as the Port of Long Beach in order to contribute to environmental preservation of our earth's limited resources.