Sustainability Overview
Message from CEO David Grzebinski
It has been an eventful year in the sustainability space for Kirby Corporation since our last report. Kirby has continued to walk down many meaningful paths in its continued pursuit of a sustainable future. These paths included increased disclosures, emissions projects, ESG related acquisitions, and collaborations and partnerships. Our team, from the Board of Directors down to employees, has cast a wide net in terms of creating a sustainable footprint. This sustainability report will be our third in the last few years and reflects much of the work that has been accomplished. I’m extremely proud that Kirby’s sustainable model is effectively addressing the concerns of our stakeholders and communities, while also upholding our fiduciary responsibility to our shareholders.
Kirby has been committed to a culture of ‘No Harm to People, Equipment, and the Environment’ for many decades. This commitment has been put into practice in many ways. Creating a culture where safety is paramount is exemplified in all our business practices and day to day operations. I am delighted to share that even in a year filled with many distractions, our marine transportation group had its lowest lost-time injury rate in its history. I’m grateful that their focus remained strong despite a challenging year. It is also important to recognize the significant volume of products we transport and our commitment to minimize potential impacts on the environment. In 2021, Kirby moved approximately 410.6 million barrels of cargo which represents approximately 17.2 billion gallons of product. We only saw minor spills which were quickly remediated. We are steadfastly committed to taking ownership of even the smallest spill as this is essential to our progress and continuous improvement. Transporting petroleum and petrochemicals are vital for both our domestic and global economies and Kirby has the expertise to do so in a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Research clearly shows that barges have a significantly smaller impact on the environment when compared to railroad and trucking (as noted in this report on page 18). We are proud to be a leader in our industry, delivering critical products safely, efficiently and reliably every day.
Read MoreSustainability Report Highlights
Guiding ESG Frameworks & Standards







“The Kirby Way”

Safety

People

Integrity

Excellence

Community

Kirby Contributes to a Better Quality of Life Every Day
Stakeholder Engagement & Participation
– Kirby is a founding member and serves in leadership positions (Board of Director & Treasurer)
– BSMC members recognize the need to address global climate change and are committed to accelerating the transition of waterborne transportation in the United States and Canada toward net zero GHG emissions through development of infrastructure, encouraging innovation and promoting policies
Getting to Zero Coalition
– The coalition acknowledges that an urgent and equitable decarbonization of the maritime supply chain by 2050 is possible and necessary, with urgent action to be taken immediately and over the coming decade
Business Network for Offshore Wind (BNOW)
– Kirby is a leadership member and also serves in the network’s Gulf of Mexico working group
– BNOW is a nonprofit, educational organization with a mission to develop the offshore wind renewable energy industry and its supply chain
Increased engagement with customers regarding environmental matters including:


the stakeholders are listed below

Climate-related Risks & Opportunities
Kirby’s Marine Transportation Group moves millions of cargo tons of petrochemical, refined, and agricultural products annually. Demand for these products has increased over the years and according to the International Energy Association is expected to continue moving forward. Therefore, Kirby is met with a dual challenge with respect to emissions from transporting said products and climate-related risks and opportunities. Below is a summary of the framework used in Kirby’s report on the Task Force of Climate-related Disclosures.
Governance:
Board oversight:
– ESG & Nominating Committee
ESG issues
– Audit Committee Climate-related risk & opportunities
Management oversight:
– Climate-related risk & opportunities
– ESG/Sustainability issues
Risk Management:
Our enterprise risk management process, Kirby is performing a scenario analysis of risks and opportunities associated with changing weather patterns that could have significant impact on our operations
– Hurricane scenario
– High water scenario
– Energy technology transition

Strategies with Examples:
Transition Risks:
– Policy & Legal – Oil & gas regulations changes
– Technology – Transition to low-emissions equipment – Energy technology
– Market – Eco-friendly fracking equipment
– Reputation – Cargo spills
Physical Risks:
– Acute – Hurricanes
– Climate – Flooding
Target & Metrics:
– Kirby Corporation is committed to reducing the negative externalities of climate-related risks & developing strategies to capture opportunities
– To address its marine fleet’s CO2e emissions, the Company has established a 40% emissions reduction target per barrel of capacity through 2040
– See slide 17 for more information