Jonathan Saul

LONDON, (Reuters) – IKEA and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:) are two of the commercial customers for container shipping. They will choose zero-carbon marine fuels in 2040 under a new initiative aimed to accelerate decarbonisation. Executives announced this Tuesday.

Global shipping is responsible for almost 3% of global CO2 emissions. This sector has been under increasing scrutiny and it’s being urged to be cleaner.

The non-profit Aspen Institute organized the initiative and nine signatories have so far signed, including Unilever (NYSE) Michelin Companies are required to purchase only zero-carbon ocean freight service by 2040, according to the Public Act of Congress.

Edgar Blanco, Amazon’s director of net-zero emissions, stated, “The time is right to take action.”

Elisabeth Munck af Rosenschöld, sustainability manager, supply chain operations at Inter IKEA Group, said working with others was crucial for developing ocean shipping fuel solutions.

According to her, “The voice and participation of cargo owners is crucial since we are among the stakeholders that will enable industry transformation,” she said to Reuters.

We aren’t willing to pay an extra premium for sustainability but are open to collaboration and co-creating the solutions with the other parties.

The record-breaking container shipping rates have been set by the port disruptions and record demand for goods, in addition to increased costs for users of cargo.

Michelle Grose is Unilever’s head of logistics. She stated that logistics accounts for 15% of its total greenhouse gas emissions. Unilever encourages existing carriers to use cleaner fuels.

“By expressing our joint commitment to zero emissions shipping, it is certain that we will accelerate this transition at the speed and scale required.”

Aiming to lower the sector’s GHG emissions 50% by 2050 from 2008 levels, the United Nations is increasingly calling for an ambitious goal of total decarbonisation in 2050.

To reduce 50% of emissions, it is necessary to develop zero- or very low-emission fuels as well as new design for vessels.