Decarbonising Shipping – an Aspiration We All Share

Shipping can be accurately described as the greenest form of cargo mass transportation. Nonetheless, MSC is acutely aware that international shipping has an impact on our climate.

Around 90% of goods are transported by sea, 70% of these in containers (UNCTAD). Our industry’s growing focus on environmental issues and decarbonisation, combined with trends in technology, regulation and changing trading patterns, will all shape the maritime industry over the next decades.

Bud Darr, Executive Vice President of Maritime Policy and Government Affairs, MSC Group, took part in a panel at the Capital Link Operational Excellence in Shipping event on 17 June 2020 to discuss the options and strategies to decarbonise shipping.

“MSC fully supports the IMO’s policy goals to decarbonise shipping and is actively exploring and trialling a range of alternative fuels and technologies – biofuels for container ships, for example – on top of some significant energy efficiency improvements across its fleet,” Bud Darr said. “The main challenge now is in determining the right combination of new fuels and technologies and implementing viable industry-wide proposals to invest in R&D to achieve those goals, and, ultimately, the zero-carbon future we all aspire to.”

MSC’s decision to invest in low-carbon technology is complementary to the company’s broader strategic approach to sustainability. The company operates a modern, green fleet and has been investing heavily in extensive new-build and retrofit programmes to boost performance and minimise our environmental impact. In addition, the company is engaging with potential vendors to investigate new solutions such as alternative fuels that would help to minimise and one day eradicate CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping fleets.