ZEMBA to seek bids for zero emission container shipping

The major retailer alliance said it will seek proposals for zero-emission shipping services, set to be delivered by 2025.

PHOTO: Maersk Line container ship moored quayside at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk, England. Getty Images

Major retailers Amazon, Patagonia and the German coffee chain Tchibo launched the Zero Emission Buyers' Alliance (ZEMBA) earlier this year along with the US-based Aspen Institute.

The coalition aims to achieve "at least 90% reduction in emissions on a lifecycle basis for greenhouse gases (GHG)” as compared to traditional fossil fuels used in the maritime industry by using the proposed zero-emission container shipping services.

The alliance said that its members will divert a portion of their demand for maritime shipping to zero-emission services. “Bidders will vie for that aggregated demand of ZEMBA members, expected to reach 200,000+ TEUs, with delivery in 2025,” it added.

The group has asked shipping companies to prepare their proposals by late October.

The proposals should provide scalable solutions and address "safety and land use concerns, particularly those that relate to biogenic substances,” the group said.

“This effort to decarbonize a hard-to-abate sector will put the ocean shipping industry — with policymaker support — on a path forward that supports the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement,” commented Ingrid Irigoyen, president and chief executive officer of ZEMBA. 

By Aparupa Mazumder 

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