Climate Action 2010-2011

SPECIAL FEATURE | Maersk Line
Climate change: a challenge and an
opportunity for shipping
Addressing climate change is a huge challenge – but one
of the reasons for the lack of success in reaching a global
agreement is the sole emphasis on establishing limits and
enforcing reductions. More focus should be put on the
industries and solutions that need to grow for the world
to succeed in reaching a prosperous low-carbon future.
Wind turbines and solar panels are clearly part of the
solution. So are enzymes that can reduce the use of chemicals
and energy in various production processes. Information
and communication technology can reduce the need for air
transport. Equally, shipping can develop into a ‘solutions
sector’ that can help bring about a low-carbon economy.
Already today, shipping is by far the most energyefficient
way to transport goods. For example, shipping
a pair of shoes from China to Northern Europe would
emit the same amount of CO 2
as driving 2km in a regular
car. And when cargo is converted from air freight to
shipping, the associated CO 2
emissions are typically
reduced by 90 per cent or more.
What matters is not the
distance the food has travelled,
but the total CO 2
emitted
from production and transport
of the products.
This means that the more shipping grows, taking a
bigger share of the freight currently transported by road
or air, the greater the reduction in global CO 2
emissions.
A recent report from the Low-Carbon Leaders Project,
which is supported by UN Global Compact and the
WWF, outlined the huge potential for such ‘modal
switches’ in freight transport and recommended that
policymakers broaden the current narrow focus on
reducing ‘food miles’ to discussing how to best promote
modal switches to more efficient forms of transportation.
Maersk Line is keen to take increasing market shares
from other modes of transportation. It is part of our business
strategy and we have numerous innovation projects to make
it happen. Together with the company Aqualife, we have
developed a method for transporting live lobsters by sea in
special containers. Normally live lobsters are transported
by air and the switch to shipping significantly cuts CO 2
emissions. Even the transport of cut flowers can be converted
from air to shipping if flower traders are open to adjusting
their businesses to the somewhat longer delivery times.
Shipping can help ‘move the sun’
Some may argue that it would still be better to stop
global trade altogether and produce goods locally to avoid
the sizeable emissions from transport.
The Low-Carbon Leaders report, however, has a
different view. It recommends that policymakers shift
While shipping is the most efficient mode of transportation, global regulation is
needed to ensure efficiency improvements in the industry.
their perspective from how transport should be reduced,
to focusing on how the services needed in society can be
provided with the lowest possible CO 2
emissions.
One crucial service, for example, is the provision of
food. The report argues that, given the greater solar inflow
around the equator, it would make sense to increase food
production in these regions as there is greater potential
for high crop yields, and then move the food to the point
of consumption in a low-carbon fashion. The authors call
this concept ‘moving the sun’. What matters is not the
distance the food has travelled, but the total CO 2
emitted
from production and transport of the products.
We think this makes a lot of sense, and we are excited
about the role it creates for shipping and for Maersk
Line. With our energy-efficient refrigerated containers,
we are already providing transportation services for food
producers around the world: this is certainly a business
that we aim to grow in the future.
We will continue to strive for low-carbon solutions
in shipping and to find innovative ways to facilitate
the modal shift from air and road to sea for the world’s
freight, regardless of failures to establish any global CO 2
regulation for the sector so far. We hope this will bring
inspiration to those policymakers working hard to reach
a global agreement on climate change.
Jacob A. Sterling is head of climate and environment for
Maersk Line. He is leading the company’s efforts to reduce CO 2
emissions and other environmental impacts, differentiating
the company in the market based on its environmental
performance. Previously, he worked in WWF and he holds a
M.Sc. in biology with a focus on environmental conservation
and natural resource management.
Maersk Line is a world leader in shipping, serving
customers and transporting containers all over the globe.
Its fleet comprises more than 500 container ships and has
offices in over 125 countries. Maersk Line made around
40,000 port calls in 2009 – roughly one every 10 minutes.
Esplanaden 50, DK-1098 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Tel: +45 3363 5441
Email: jacob.sterling@maersk.com
Website: www.maerskline.com
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