A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk) has said it is looking for customers to act as partners in its efforts to decarbonise logistics operations.
In a statement, Maersk said its North America Managing Director Narin Phol made the call at the Port of Houston’s Global Freight Summit on 19 May 2021.
Phol described decarbonisation as “an important agenda for the industry and for Maersk” and that has a responsibility to look for solutions to climate change because it is “part of the problem”.
“Around half of Maersk’s 200 largest customers have set – or are in the process of setting – ambitious science-based or zero carbon targets for their supply chains, and the figure is on the rise,” Phol said.
“We don’t have all the answers therefore the process requires a lot of collaboration to achieve a common goal.”
Maersk has established a team focused on decarbonization and the end-to-end activities necessary to decarbonize logistics, using a holistic approach.
In 2018, the company announced a pledge to become carbon neutral by 2050. In the nearer term, by 2030 Maersk says it will continue to reduce CO2 emissions for ocean shipping by 60% per container per kilometer moved, through improved efficiency. Compared to the 2008 baseline, Maersk has already reduced CO2 emissions by 46%.
In 2019, the company introduced a carbon-zero product called Eco Delivery – which offers cargo owners certified carbon neutral shipping based upon use of sustainable biofuel on all major trades (limited availability, not a scalable product).
In March 2020, the company announced that by 2023 they will have the first carbon neutral liner vessel on the water – seven years ahead of the original plan.
Additionally, all future Maersk-owned new vessels will have dual fuel technology installed, enabling either carbon neutral operations or use of today’s standard very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) as a back-up option.
“We will be actively looking to partner with customers and other members of the global logistics industry to drive innovation across the supply chain,” Phol concluded
