THE Korean Register of Shipping (KR) - an IACS member classification society - has become the first Asian organisation to be accredited as a verification body by the Clean Shipping Index.

"Increasingly, cargo owners are seeking to ensure that all of their operations are environmentally friendly - and that includes their supply chains," said KR chairman and CEO Oh Kong-gyun.

"Caring for the environment is at the top of our corporate agenda and I am delighted that we are now able to take a positive role in this valuable and very worthwhile environmental tool for cargo owners," said Mr Oh, a member of the business-to-business liners and logistics providers', the Clean Cargo Working Group.

The Clean Shipping Index is an online tool enabling cargo owners to make informed, sustainable choices when selecting a shipping company. Shipowners submit environmental data enabling shippers to compare the environmental performance of fleets and individual ships.