In 2010, the Port of Salalah in Oman created the SWITCH commitment to reduce the port's carbon footprint by 25 percent by 2014. One year ahead of target, the carbon reduction has declined by an incredible 40%, due to 17 ongoing initiatives.

What did we do?

To achieve the vision we enlisted the help of our employees and our customers to do the following:

• Switch off idle machinery (estimated reduction 9,000 ton annually on 70 RTGs and over 100 tractors)

• Automatic 'switch-off' of crane lights (estimated reduction 7,000 ton annually on 25 cranes)

• Tree-planting support over 2 years

• Over 15 smaller projects were undertaken which focused on increasing efficiency, productivity and reducing waste at the port.

How has the project motivated others to contribute to a greener Oman?

The port management is extremely close to convincing the Omani government to invest in our proposal to convert 70 RTG cranes from diesel to electrical, which is the final major leg of the SWITCH aims. The government has reviewed the proposal favorably in light of the port's ongoing commitment to reducing CO2 footprint. The electric-RTG (or ERTG) project will reduce CO2 emissions by 16,000 tons annually.

How sustainable is the initiative?

The initiative has proven to be sustainable for the past 3 years with consistent reduction in CO2. We attribute this consistency to the ingenuity of the solutions adopted on the machines, and the success of the company's internal environment campaigns on internal projects.