While air freight relies on jet engines that consume large amounts of fuel, sea vessels typically use more fuel-efficient engines, reducing their impact on the environment. Sea freight transportation helps to build a more sustainable supply chain.
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Even so, there's a reason all this stuff travels by boat. Aside from being the cheapest mode, it's also the most carbon-efficient method of shipping: A big ship will emit about 0.4 ounces of carbon dioxide to transport 2 tons of cargo 1 mile.
Comparing the Carbon Footprints of Air and Sea FreightAirfreight generates 47 times more greenhouse gases than ocean shipping, for every ton-mile. While airplanes produce 500g of CO2 per metric ton of freight per kilometer of travel, cargo ships only produce 10-40 grams per kilometer.
Flights emit 500 grams of carbon dioxide/metric tons of cargo per kilometer of transportation. However, ships emit only between 10 to 40 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. The carbon footprint of airplanes is 20 to 30 times more than ships.
As a solo rider, driving a car wouldn't help lower your emissions — it would be higher than air travel, at 120 pounds of CO2. Though if you had four people in the car, the air pollution you'd emit would fall to just 30 pounds of CO2 per passenger.