The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), Katalist and a group of 13 first mover organizations across the maritime sector, including A.P. Møller-Mærsk, Liquid Wind, NORDEN, Patagonia, Swire Shipping, Swire Bulk, Tchibo, and Unifeeder have issued an open letter to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) expressing support of indirect mitigation efforts, like book and claim solutions to abate shipping emissions for the maritime sector’s clean energy transition.
SBTi’s globally recognized Standard aims to provide companies with requirements, guidance, and best practices toward setting and achieving emissions reductions and net-zero targets based on science. The organization’s standard are currently undergoing revision toward Corporate Net Zero Standard 2.0.
The maritime transport sector is considered one of the world’s hardest-to-abate industries. The industry has not agreed on which low-emission fuels should be the standard; there are not enough of any of the new fuels to support the industry; the infrastructure to manufacture and distribute the fuels doesn’t yet exist; and most ships are not designed to run on the new fuels, though many companies are making significant progress.
The group said direct emission mitigation efforts currently face challenges of transparency and assurability. Often progress can be made through indirect mitigation efforts, like book-and-claim solutions whereby customers or shippers that lack access to sustainable fuels can pay for other companies that do have access to use the fuels. Such systems can unlock increased demand and channel investment toward creating the markets for the most advanced, scalable fuels and technologies within the sector, as companies are not constrained by only investing in the offerings of their carriers.
The group said SBTi’s most recent draft Standard marked the first time that the organization acknowledged the necessary role of indirect mitigation as a key aspect of a company’s net-zero journey.
“Patagonia views indirect mitigation—reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our supply chain—as a necessary component of our strategy to achieve net zero by 2040,” said Kim Drenner, director of supply chain environmental impact at Patagonia. “Indirect mitigation supports collective action, encourages policy development and enables us to channel investments directly into our supply chain by supporting technologies such as e-fuels in transportation and transitioning textile mills to renewable energy. Because our supply chain partners serve many companies, this work can drive large-scale decarbonization and help industries from apparel to transportation reduce their carbon footprints.”
The leadership of ZEMBA, Katalist and these 13 other first movers is a driving force in the maritime sector’s clean energy transition, but voluntary private sector action needs guidance from organizations like SBTi toward the mutual goal of facilitating credible corporate emissions abatement in line with a net-zero goal.
