Leading shipping companies CMA CGM and Maersk have announced a strategic partnership. With a shared commitment to achieving net-zero emissions, these industry front-runners are set to revolutionize the maritime sector.
A Pioneering Collaboration
CMA CGM and Maersk have set ambitious net-zero targets for their shipping operations, signaling a resolute dedication to a sustainable future. Both companies have already taken significant steps towards promoting decarbonization, with Maersk investing in vessels powered by bio/e-methanol and CMA CGM opting for LNG-propelled vessels that can also run on bio/e-methane.
Fueling the Future
While bio/e-methanol and LNG appear as the most mature fuel options presently, both companies anticipate the emergence of new alternatives in the coming years. This collaboration will focus on developing standards for alternative sustainable fuels, analyzing their full lifecycle and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, efforts will be directed towards ensuring the safe operation and bunkering of green methanol vessels.
Advocating for Regulatory Reform
Recognizing the pivotal role of regulation in achieving decarbonization, Maersk and CMA CGM are staunch supporters of the recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2023 strategy for reducing GHG emissions from ships. They welcome regional measures such as the EU Fit for 55 and the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, viewing them as catalysts for the demand in green shipping solutions.
Looking Ahead
Both companies emphasize the necessity of a robust and sustainable international regulatory framework for GHG emissions. This, they assert, is crucial in leveling the playing field and fostering a global business environment conducive to carbon reduction.
Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, expressed, “This partnership is a milestone for the decarbonization of our industry…enabling our industry to reach its CO2 reduction targets.”
Vincent Clerc, CEO at A.P. Moller – Maersk, added, “…when we unite through determined efforts and partnerships, a tangible and optimistic path toward a sustainable future emerges.
- About Maersk: A.P. Moller – Maersk is an integrated logistics company working to connect and simplify its customers’ supply chains. As a global leader in logistics services, the company operates in more than 130 countries and employs over 110,000 people world-wide. Maersk is aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2040 across the entire business with new technologies, new vessels, and green fuels.
About CMA CGM: Led by Rodolphe Saadé, the CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, serves more than 420 ports around the world across 5 continents, with a fleet of around 623 vessels. The Group transported 21.7 million TEU containers (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2022. With its subsidiary CEVA Logistics, a global logistics player which transported 522,000 tonnes of air cargo and more than 22 million shipments of inland freight, and its air cargo division CMA CGM AIR CARGO, the CMA CGM Group is constantly innovating to provide customers a comprehensive and increasingly efficient offering, thanks to new shipping, inland, air freight and logistics solutions. Firmly committed to the energy transition in shipping and a pioneer in its use of alternative fuels, the CMA CGM Group has set a Net Zero-Carbon target for 2050. Each year, via the CMA CGM Foundation, the Group supports thousands of children as part of its efforts to promote education for all and equal opportunities. The CMA CGM Foundation also intervenes in humanitarian crises requiring an emergency response by calling on the Group’s shipping and logistics expertise to deliver humanitarian supplies around the world. Present in 160 countries through its network of more than 400 offices and 750 warehouses, the Group employs 155,000 people worldwide, including nearly 4,000 in Marseille where its head office is located.
