Maersk has joined The Climate Pledge initiative of Amazon and Global Optimism, which is a commitment to reach the Paris Agreement 10 years earlier and be net-zero carbon by 2040.
The Danish shipping company is now one of the 312 organisations that have signed The Climate Pledge and one of the nearly 100 new members, including software developer SAP, timberland company Weyerhaeuser, solar company Sunrun and car and audio services provider HARMAN.
In addition, Maersk becomes the first shipping company to participate in Amazon’s decarbonisation project. “Solving the climate emergency and decarboniSing our customers’ supply chains is a strategic imperative for Maersk,” pointed out Soren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller–Maersk.
Skou went on to comment, “Hence, back in January 2021 we accelerated our decarbonisation commitment to net-zero emissions by 2040—a decade ahead of our initial 2050 ambitions and the Paris Agreement. To drive the massive scale-up of green fuels, we all must move now and take action. If we are meant to see changes this decade, we cannot afford to wait, and in that context, we look forward to joining The Climate Pledge, an opportunity to team up with some of our major customers, learn from them, and share the best practices and solutions.”
Signatories to The Climate Pledge must agree to:
- Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis.
- Implement decarbonisation strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies.
- Neutralise any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.
“The effects of climate change are becoming more and more apparent in our surroundings and daily lives, and we firmly believe that the private sector must continue to innovate and collaborate across regions and industries in order to decarbonize the global economy at scale,” said Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO.
He added, “It’s an encouraging sign that more than 300 businesses have now signed The Climate Pledge, which commits them to confront climate change head-on by incorporating real business changes that will make a lasting impact on our planet. We can only do it together.”
