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Clean Shipping Index (CSI)

What is the Clean Shipping Index?

The Clean Shipping Index (CSI) is a non-profit organization offering a voluntary environmental label for ships and shipping companies and providing market incentives for clean shipping. It is a tool to achieve environmental progress in the shipping industry.

In addition to rules and regulations, other ways exist to drive environment-related improvements through market actors. If reasonable but significant environmental demands are coordinated from large cargo owners like export/ import industries and companies, a win-win situation can be created. This is beneficial for environmental-friendly shipping companies, subcontractors for clean technologies and the environment itself. A network of cargo owners have already agreed to use CSI in their procurement process.

How it works

The CSI focuses on the vessel’s operational impact on the environment. The basis is a questionnaire covering the environmental performance of ships. Information is collected in the CSI database, which members have access to. Based on the entered data, CSI ranks ships according to their environmental performance. Good environmental performance is rewarded with economic benefits.

The role of DNV

To receive the discount, the self-assessment needs to be verified by an accredited third-party organization like DNV. We have verified self-assessments on board ships and in the ship manager’s offices since the start of the CSI. Thanks to our years-long experience in environmental compliance topics like EEDI and EEOI calculation as well as exhaust gas measurement, we can provide a smooth verification processes and reliable data. You also benefit from our excellent reputation as an expert partner in the industry. With a worldwide network of surveyors, DNV is able to provide the on-board audit at the best suitable location.

Benefits for CSI verified vessel operators

Verified proof of your environmental performance for various stakeholders such as cargo owners, financiers and charterers Potential cost savings from differentiated port fees – ports using the CSI as a tool for differentiating port fees are, e.g.:
  • Port of Gothenburg
  • Port of Vancouver
  • Port of Prince Rupert
  • Port of Gävle
  • PetroPort

DNV can assist in an initial estimate on potential port readiness fee savings: 

Example: CV Feeder, 7200 NT 
Potential readiness fee savings from one visit to Port of Gothenburg (in SEK):
(Source: Readiness fee, Port of Gothenburg, April 2018)

CSI scoring:NoneD-ECBA
Port fee: 57,000 –0% –10% –70%–90%


Benefits for ship owners and managers

  • Analysis of ships’ environmental performance vs. best available technologies and international regulations
  • Suggestions on investments and ROI for achieving a higher CSI ranking and additional, easily achievable items to improve points and scoring
  • Potentially lower interest rate on financing of newbuildings, with CSI as risk management tool

Benefits for cargo owners

  • Access to extensive data from the global shipping fleet
  • CSI gives you the information you need to clean up your supply chain
  • Use the data for calculating environmental footprints, for example for CSR reports
  • CSI membership helps your company accomplish its CSR goals and lead the transition to sustainable business
  • CSI enables combining care for the environment with sound and sustainable business decisions

Additional benefits with CSI membership

  • Access to the CSI database with more than 2,300 vessels
  • Free participation in network meetings held one to two times per year
  • Support from the CSI Management Team and Technical Committee
  • Possibility to contribute to the development of the CSI organization
  • Company logo listed on www.cleanshippingindex.com
  • CSI membership helps your company accomplish its CSR goals and lead the transition to sustainable business

Related downloads and links

  Clean Shipping Index flyer

Clean Shipping Index flyer

Download the 2-page PDF

  FAQs on CSI

FAQs on CSI

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions

  Clean Shipping Index website

Clean Shipping Index website

More details on the official website

Receive a CSI verification quote for your company

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