Maersk moves up net-zero emissions goal by decade

• 50% reduction in emissions intensity, or emissions per transported container in the Maersk ocean fleet.
• 70% reduction in absolute emissions from terminals fully controlled by Maersk.
• Generation of 5 million tons of carbon dioxide savings per year using natural climate solutions.

Depending on how much the ocean business grows, Maersk said this should lead to absolute emissions reductions of 35% to 50% by 2030, using 2020 as a baseline.

Read: A vision at sea: Maersk’s methanol-powered vessels taking shape

Green fuels and operations targets for 2030 include:

• Transport 25% of all ocean cargo using green fuels.
• Move at least 30% of air cargo using sustainable aviation fuels.
• Run warehouses and depots using at least 90% green operations.

All of these 2030 targets include scope 1 (direct) and scope 2 (indirect) emissions and use 2020 data as the baseline. The company described “green fuels” and “green operations” to mean fuels or energy that have “low or very low GHG emissions on a life cycle basis.”

Maersk will also set a 2030 target for inland transportation this year.

New green product offerings will be introduced to join Maersk’s existing emissions dashboard and Maersk ECO Delivery, making it easier to reduce emissions. These green products will “provide real emission reductions within the supply chain,” the release said.

Including supply chain emissions

Indirect emissions from third-party product and service providers will be included in Maersk’s emissions targets. This will require “extensive data insights and close collaboration” with the shipping giant’s local and regional suppliers across its entire business footprint.

Read: Finding sustainable suppliers — Net-Zero Carbon

“As a global provider of end-to-end logistics services across all transport modes, it is a strategic imperative for Maersk to extend our net-zero ambition to the total footprint of the business. The science is clear — we must act now to deliver significant progress in this decade. These very ambitious targets mark our commitment to society and to the many customers who call for net-zero supply chains,” Maersk CEO Soren Skou said in the release.

WATCH: Journey to Emissions-Reduction

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Alyssa Sporrer.

Related Stories:

Maersk throws its weight behind unicorn electrofuels company

The good, the bad, the promising sustainability developments

Maersk enters agreement for 8 methanol-powered vessels

How will COP26 affect sustainability movement in freight moving forward?