In a bid to slash carbon emissions, France's Seine River emerges as a vital player in a broader European effort to leverage waterways for freight transport.
The European Green Deal aims to revitalize river transport, cutting road freight's carbon footprint by encouraging barge use over traditional trucking.
France's main port operator, Haropa, is spearheading more than 1 billion euros in investments to make the Seine a model for eco-friendly freight movement.
Innovations like electric and hydrogen-powered barges are on the rise, alongside initiatives by companies such as Ikea to reduce urban pollution and congestion.
Key quote:
"We are working on a transformation to get businesses to massively shift their logistics routes."
— Stéphane Raison, president of Haropa
Why this matters:
Rivers, historically central to commerce and trade in Europe, are being re-envisioned as arteries of sustainable transport. Barges are capable of carrying much larger volumes of goods compared to trucks, thereby improving efficiency and reducing the number of trips needed to transport the same amount of cargo.
Lock and dam infrastructure on the Mississippi River is in desperate need of improvements. But some say before that investment is made, studies should be done to determine the effect it has on climate change.
Harvest season is underway for crops such as soybeans and corn, but farmers’ yields are piling up. Near-historic low water levels on the Mississippi River are slowing down barges and driving up shipping costs.
While the Mississippi River is open for commerce, the situation is far from normal, and it's unclear how long it may take to rebuild after Hurricane Ida.
