As we celebrate The Climate Pledge’s fifth anniversary, we caught up with key leaders at some of our signatory and partner companies to learn about their progress and their vision for the climate future.

On August 27, 2024, Maersk achieved a big milestone: Its fourth dual-fuel methanol-enabled container ship became the first of its kind to arrive in the United States after a successful voyage carrying cargo from China. We attended an event marking the ship’s arrival and name-giving and spoke with Maersk’s Senior Commercial Sustainability Partner, Saba Takidar, about how the logistics solutions giant is driving and seizing technical and commercial opportunities in this space. 

The Climate Pledge: How did Maersk's climate commitment take form? What drove it? 

Takidar: Citizenship and environmental responsibility are embedded in our values. That motivation to do the right thing was what first started our climate ambition. But then, of course, we’re also a business. So we listen to what the business world asks of us, and to where the demand is from customers.

We provide integrated logistics solutions to some of the biggest companies in the world. Over time, they’ve begun to demand logistics solutions to meet their own climate goals and customer demands. It's no longer just about getting something from point A to point B as quickly and cheaply as possible, but also getting it there with the least climate impact.

The Climate Pledge: Why is this vessel launch such a milestone for Maersk?

Takidar: She’s amazing, isn’t she? This vessel is dual-fueled, so she’s capable of running on lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions fuel compared with conventional bunker fuel. Why is that such a big deal? First, having anything run on an alternative fuel at this scale is in itself a milestone. Second, getting the amount of fuel necessary to support a journey as long as hers across the ocean is also huge. The third thing is just the fact that all of this is relatively new. So just engineering-wise, it's amazing that we were able to come up with a design that fits dual-fuel ocean shipping at this scale. 

The Climate Pledge: How did you arrive at the innovation to use an alternative fuel?

Takidar: Maersk’s ambition is to get to net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. The life cycle of one of these ships is 20–25 years. Let’s do the math: To reach our goal, any new ship that we introduce to our fleet from 2021 onwards must be in line with our goal of net-zero emissions by 2040. So we needed a fuel capable of powering a ship of this size now. There are many options out there, but this particular fuel, green methanol, was the only one that was ready for us to use this decade. 

We are totally open to exploring other fuels that will emerge in the future. Technology is evolving faster than anyone could imagine. When we announced we’d have a methanol-enabled containership two or three years ago, we were the first in the world. Now, our peers have ordered these types of ships, too. There are 140 other ships on order. Two or three years ago, we didn’t think it would be possible for electric battery-powered trucks to be able to haul containers for the hundreds of miles they need to. Today in North America, we’ve done 5 million miles on electric trucks. So in just three years, the world has changed. Things are changing so fast that we have to be agile, and we have to be able to evolve with the times.

The Climate Pledge: Maersk participates in a number of joint action projects within The Climate Pledge. Why is collaboration so important for Maersk? And what do you get out of partnering with other Climate Pledge signatories? 

Takidar: It's impossible to do this alone. There is a word we like to use: co-opetition. We are collaborating with peers who traditionally compete fiercely with us. We need everyone, from the shipping lines, the fuel producers, the customers, and the politicians—everyone—to come together to create the infrastructure we need to make this happen.

This is too much of a lift for anyone to do it alone. People and organizations have different expertise. We need to fit all of those together like a puzzle to really change anything. For example, we know how to operate vessels, but we don't know how to design a dual-fuel vessel. We don't know how to produce the fuel. So we have to rely on others to do it. If we are the only ones who are buying these ships and the other shipping lines are not, who's going to produce enough fuel? In trucking, if we are the only logistics company investing in battery-electric trucks, where are all the charging stations we need going to come from? 

There's a very high cost to the kind of learning necessary to achieve these undertakings. The Climate Pledge gives us a platform where we can share learnings and goals with so many other like-minded customers, partners, and players in the industry. I’d really recommend the Pledge to organizations at the beginning of their decarbonization journey, who don’t know where to start or are unsure of who to ask. It’s a great place to learn, share, grow together.

The Climate Pledge: Why is now an exciting time for companies to focus on making meaningful impact toward solving the climate crisis? 

Takidar: As more and more of our customers set climate goals for themselves, there’s a growing opportunity to commercialize solutions that support those. There's value in it, there's marketability in it, and there are business opportunities and advantages emerging for those who can offer them. And while that’s important for the long-term investment in these types of solutions, it also sends a message of hope for future generations. Making meaningful impact toward mitigating the climate crisis is being integrated into the core of the business of commercial companies. It’s everyone’s responsibility, and the time to act is now.


Learn more about Maersk’s approach to sustainability here, and download Maersk’s methanol sustainability requirements here.