Amazon, Brooks Running, Frog Bikes, IKEA, Inditex, Michelin, Patagonia, Tchibo, and Unilever have subscribed to the Cargo Owners for Zero-Emission Vessels (coZEV) platform.
Facilitated by the Aspen Institute and its 2020-launched Shipping Decarbonization Initiative (SDI), the cargo owners in question have pledged to transition their ocean freight to zero-carbon shipping by 2040.
In the coZEV 2040 Ambition Statement they have signed, zero-carbon are defined as fuels that release no (or minimal) greenhouse gases from a lifecycle perspective.
The initiative is open to onboarding other cargo owners and partners wanting to help decarbonise the shipping sector.
The founding expert partners include Clean Air Task Force, Environmental Defense Fund, Ocean Conservancy, and UMAS.
"2040 may seem far away, but experts in this hard-to-abate sector know that vast new zero-carbon fuel supply chains must be built and numerous actors must come together to launch the first large scale projects - from financiers to fuel producers, ports to individual ship owners, carriers, and of course, their customers, the cargo owners whose business underpins the entire enterprise. They also know of the need for policy support, regulatory reforms, new fuel standards, updated procedures and protocols necessary to bring zero-carbon solutions to scale," the Aspen Institute wrote in a press release.
The Aspen Institute furthered, "These experts also understand that the resources needed across the supply chain to enable zero-carbon shipping are an investment in our individual and collective futures, whose benefits far outweigh the costs of inaction to address climate change. And the savvy will see that there are new business opportunities to be had, and a chance for the maritime sector to support a just and equitable clean energy transition, one that protects the human rights of seafarers and creates new economic development opportunities around the globe."
"Together, these companies are committing to aligning their ocean shipping with the 1.5°C goal, and are sending a critical demand signal for the adoption of zero-carbon fuels. They are helping to lead and shape a movement where sustainability-minded consumers begin to expect the goods they purchase every day to arrive at their local store or doorstep without polluting the planet. As new companies become interested in decarbonising this part of their supply chains, they will recognise that as cargo owners, they can drive the change needed through collaboration with supply chain partners and peers," the Aspen Institute summed up.
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