Zero Emission Shipping

Accelerating the shipping industry’s decarbonisation is crucial to meeting the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree temperature goal.

Shipping is therefore on the verge of an energy revolution, but little is sure about its precise course. Long-term climate ambition alone is insufficient. Urgent action is vital to achieving the goal of zero-emission shipping by 2050.

The Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonisation is a joint initiative of the Global Maritime Forum and the Getting to Zero Coalition, an alliance of over 150 major businesses. This collaborative effort calls on governments to partner with the industry to implement the policies necessary to decarbonise global supply chains and economies.

Developed by a multi-stakeholder task force convened by the Getting to Zero Coalition, the primary messages of the Call to Action are that:

by 2050, shipping must adhere to the Paris Agreement’s temperature target and completely decarbonise and use net-zero energy sources instead;
its signatories firmly believe that decarbonising the maritime supply chain urgently and equitably by 2050 is both achievable and necessary;
the private sector is setting the standards and taking concrete steps to make zero-emission vessels and fuels the default option by 2030. To achieve both the 2030 and 2050 goals, decisive government action and supporting policy frameworks are required.
Coinciding with the UN General Assembly, the Call to Action was launched virtually on 22 September 2021, by representatives from signatory companies worldwide. It will also be delivered to the COP Presidency ahead of COP26 at Glasgow in November 2021.

Synergy joined the Call to Action campaign earlier this year, amid 150 of the world’s largest organisations in the marine, energy, infrastructure, and finance sectors, calling for decisive action towards a clear goal of net-zero emissions for the shipping industry by 2050. No single fuel can meet shipping’s zero-carbon requirements, so the industry is destined for a multi-fuel future.

Synergy, as technical thought partners, will continue to deliver fuel and technological flexibility options. We will also remain committed to engaging and investing in zero-emission shipping pilot and demonstration projects, including wind propulsion, batteries, and fuel cells.