Rotterdam, Netherlands (September 14, 2023) — Maersk named its first-ever zero-emissions ocean ship, the Laura Maersk. Just recently, Amazon transported goods on this ship from Shanghai to Rotterdam. 

Amazon also recently finalized a 2023-2024 agreement with Maersk for the transport of 20,000 40-foot equivalent containers using methanol through Maersk’s “ECO Delivery” ocean product offering. This is proof that the technology exists. Amazon’s head of ocean shipping decarbonization, Laura Bowen Wegener said: “This is so exciting because it shows the world that cleaner shipping is possible. Companies like Amazon are willing to pay to move their cargo on vessels that can emit 95% fewer emissions than traditional ships. Innovation wins, communities thrive, and we progress towards a cleaner planet.

However, the Ship It Zero coalition emphasized that while this is a step forward, Amazon’s goal of 10% zero-emissions by 2030 is not nearly ambitious enough given the dire warnings from a new UN climate report signaling that nations have a “rapidly narrowing window” to cut emissions. 

STATEMENT FROM THE SHIP IT ZERO COALITION:

Eric Leveridge, Ship It Zero Lead, Pacific Environment, said: “We are encouraged by Amazon’s shift to methanol-fueled ships and seeing the first shoots of a transition to zero-emissions. We congratulate them on their commitment to the transport of 20,000 40-foot equivalent containers using methanol. However, we are disappointed in their goal of 10% zero-emissions by 2030 which is clearly not enough given the urgency and destruction caused by climate change. We need Amazon to work with Maersk to move their 100% of goods onto cleaner ships this decade and show true climate leadership now.”

海運業における公害問題

The global shipping industry accounts for 3% of global climate emissions, more than global air travel. If shipping were a country, it would be the world’s sixth largest climate polluter. But since maritime shipping negotiated itself out of the U.N. Paris Agreement, the effort to reduce emissions in the industry has been slower than in other sectors.

Approximately 90% of the world trade is transported by sea, and current business-as-usual scenarios project emissions will grow up to 50% over 2018 levels. While the International Maritime Organization noted increased ship size and operational improvements aimed at creating better fuel efficiency have resulted in a decrease in emissions intensity, annual absolute emissions are still increasing.

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Ship It Zeroは、世界の大企業を100％ゼロエミッションの海上輸送に移行させるための気候変動と公衆衛生のキャンペーンです。ウォルマート、ホームデポ、アマゾン、ターゲット、イケアなどの企業に対し、2030年までに100％ゼロエミッションの貨物輸送船に移行するよう求めています。この目標は、科学者が気候危機の最悪の結果を回避するために必要とする目標である1.5度未満の地球温暖化を維持するために、海運業界が公平に貢献することを保証するものです。

Media Contact:

Gwen Dobbs, Campaign Communications Director, Pacific Environment, gdobbs@pacificenvironment.org