COP26: Ship It Zero coalition responds to green shipping corridors launch

Global ministers, CEOs launch Green Shipping Clydebank Declaration; Advocacy groups call announcement a call to action for cargo owners.

GLASGOW — On Wednesday, 10 November, 2021, ministers and CEOs from around the world gathered at a COP26 event hosted by the UK government to launch the Clydebank Declaration, a collaborative effort to establish green shipping corridors among some of the globe’s busiest maritime shipping routes — including both land-side infrastructure and vessels. COP26 is the U.N.’s annual climate change conference happening November 1-12 in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Clydebank Declaration, with 19 countries joining as founding signatories, and participation from global shipping giant Maersk and fuel supplier CWP-Global, among others, sets a framework for bringing zero emissions technologies and fuels to commercial scale. The Global Maritime Forum (GMF) Getting to Zero coalition emphasized that zero emissions fuels will need to account for at least 5% of the global maritime fuel mix by 2030 for the maritime sector to be Paris aligned. In order to reach the 5% by 2030 target, at least six green corridors along some of the world’s busiest shipping routes will be needed by the middle of this decade and at least 200 zero emissions deep sea vessels in operation by 2030. The GMF and ship operators emphasized that demand from cargo owners – like Amazon, IKEA, Target, and Walmart – was essential to realizing these goals.

The Ship It Zero coalition, led by environmental advocacy organizations Stand.earth and Pacific Environment, called the announcement a potentially pivotal moment for the decarbonization of maritime shipping if cargo owners step up their level of ambition to send the clear market signals needed to make this initiative a reality. Kendra Ulrich, Shipping Campaigns Director at Stand.earth, called for major corporations including Amazon, IKEA, Walmart, and Target — who are also some of the biggest importers of goods into the U.S. via cargo ships — to help spur private sector investment by committing to zero emissions maritime shipping by 2030..

“The Clydebank Declaration should serve as a rallying cry for cargo owners like Amazon, IKEA, Walmart, and Target to step up to the climate leadership helm by committing to 100% zero emissions shipping by 2030. The Global Maritime Forum made clear today that increasing demand from cargo owners for zero emissions shipping is essential to making green shipping corridors a reality. Now it is time for retail brands to make the commitment to carbon-free shipping this decade,” said Kendra Ulrich, Shipping Campaigns Director, Stand.earth.

Earlier at COP26, the Ship It Zero coalition welcomed the news that Amazon had joined U.S. President Joe Biden’s First Movers Coalition, a public-private partnership to commercialize emerging technologies essential to decarbonizing heavy industries, including ocean shipping. Ship It Zero said the coalition has potential, since it sets targets for action this decade, but warned it is light on details, calling for concrete steps including how and when retail companies will shift contracts to ship products on zero-emissions cargo ships.

BACKGROUND

Stand.earth and Pacific Environment lead the Ship It Zero coalition, which is calling on major retail brands including Amazon, IKEA, Walmart, and Target to take immediate action to reduce climate and cargo shipping pollution and switch entirely to zero-emissions cargo ships by 2030. Ship It Zero called Amazon’s recent commitment to move its products to zero-emissions ships by 2040 “historic but too weak” and demanded action this decade.

In July, the Ship It Zero coalition released its Shady Ships report, the first study of its kind to quantify the climate and public health impacts from some of the biggest American retailers’ reliance on overseas manufacturing and fossil-fueled, transoceanic shipping.

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Media contacts

In North America (PT): Virginia Cleaveland, U.S. Media Director, Stand.earth, +1 510 858 9902, media@stand.earth

At COP26 (GMT): Ziona Eyob, Media Director – Canada, Stand.earth, +1 604 757 7279, canmedia@stand.earth