(Copenhagen, March 19th 2021) Today, Environmental Defense Fund and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping formalized their collaboration by signing a Partnership Agreement. With the Agreement, Environmental Defense Fund becomes an official partner to the Center, committing to a long-term strategic collaboration about the reduction of emissions from shipping.
The collaboration will evolve around the development of an industry transition strategy, mapping the strategic pathway to zero carbon shipping in 2050, and the comprehensive policy framework necessary for shipping to meet and exceed its long-term target. In addition to that, the collaboration will also include activities on the sustainability assessment and life cycle analyses of future fuels and technologies as well as their impact potential and potential constraints.
“Environmental Defense Fund brings more than 50 years of experience and pioneering work for a safer and healthier environment. With deep involvement and insights across sectors, EDF will add a broad societal perspective which will be of essence in the development of a sustainable transition strategy for the maritime industry. We look very much forward to the collaboration!” says Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping.
“The Center is well placed to support robust policy pathways towards decarbonization and drive the deployment of zero emissions vessels. Environmental Defense Fund’s work to reduce shipping’s climate impacts can complement the effort in leading the way towards a sustainable, zero-carbon and competitive shipping sector,” says Kelley Kizzier, Vice President for Global Climate at Environmental Defense Fund.
Shipping’s road map to decarbonization
With 70.000 ships consuming m300Tons fuel p.a. global shipping accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions, a share that is likely to increase as other industries tackle climate emissions in the coming decades.
Achieving the long-term target of decarbonization requires new fuel types and a systemic change within the industry. Shipping is a globally regulated industry, which provides an opportunity to secure broad-based industry adoption of new technology and fuels.
To accelerate the development of viable technologies a coordinated effort within applied research is needed across the entire supply chain. Industry leaders play a critical role in ensuring that laboratory research is successfully matured to scalable solutions matching the needs of industry. At the same time, new legislation will be required to enable the transition towards decarbonization.
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About Environmental Defense Fund
One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 2.5 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action.
www.edf.org
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EDF media contact: Aoife O’Leary +44 7526092615 / aoleary@edf.org
About the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping is a not-for-profit, independent research- and development center working across the energy- and shipping sectors with industry, academia and authorities. With Partners, the Center create overview of viable decarbonization pathways, facilitate the development and implementation of new energy technologies; build confidence in new concepts and their supply chains; and accelerate the transition by defining and maturing viable strategic pathways to the required systemic change. The Center is placed in Copenhagen but work with partners globally.
The Center was founded in 2020, made possible by a start-up donation of DKK 400m by the A.P. Møller Foundation. Strategic Partners to the Center include: Alfa Laval, American Bureau of Shipping, A.P. Moller - Maersk, Cargill, Environmental Defense Fund, Haldor Topsoe, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NORDEN, NYK Line, Siemens Energy and Total.
Center media contact: Anne Katrine Bjerregaard +45 20450191 / anne.katrine.bjerregaard@zerocarbonshipping.com