IKEA joins ZEMBA to help minimise maritime emissions 

Multinational retail conglomerate Inter IKEA Group has joined the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), as the first member alongside co-founders Amazon, Patagonia, and Tchibo.

ZEMBA was established at the beginning of this month with the aim to accelerate maritime decarbonisation.

 As a non-profit organization and initiative of Cargo Owners for Zero Emissions Vessels (coZEV), the mission of ZEMBA is to enable companies to access zero-emission shipping solutions that are not currently available.

Inter IKEA Group was an initial signatory of the coZEV 2040 Ambition Statement in October 2021, and is now joining a transition from ambition to action.

“Through ZEMBA, we look forward to collaborating with other climate-leading cargo owners to provide demand for zero emission solutions. We want to build confidence among investors, fuel producers, and shipping lines that achieving full maritime decarbonization in our supply chain is possible by 2040. We can achieve this only by working together with like-minded stakeholders,” said Elisabeth Fauvelle Munck af Rosenschöld, Sustainability Manager Supply Chain Operations at IKEA Supply AG. 

“We are continuously inspired by the leadership of forward-thinking companies like Inter IKEA Group that are ready to work together to tackle the maritime industry’s climate impact. We invite additional freight buyers to join us in advancing a market for new, clean, and affordable fuels and technologies for maritime transport,” said Ingrid Irigoyen, President and CEO of ZEMBA and Director of the Aspen Shipping Decarbonization Initiative at the Aspen Institute.

The announcement followed the support from the Ship It Zero coalition which commended IKEA for joining the coalition.

Ship It Zero is particularly encouraged by ZEMBA’s focus on immediate action, noting the announcement’s commitment to issue a request for proposals for zero-emission shipping this year to move products by no later than 2025-2026.

“We applaud IKEA’s commitment and leadership to zero-emission shipping as the first member of the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance. The latest UN climate change report makes it clear: we must act urgently to secure a liveable future for all, which means achieving 100% zero-emission ocean shipping by 2030. We need big, bold actions to combat climate change, and call on Walmart, Home Depot and Target to step up to the challenge,” said Eric Leveridge, Corporate Climate Campaigner, Pacific Environment.

“We appreciate IKEA’s leadership in becoming the first member to join this alliance and its commitment to zero-emission shipping by the end of the next decade. It’s a step in the right direction but simply fails to meet the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to rapidly decarbonize ocean shipping. We urge companies to commit to achieving 100% zero-emission, fossil-free ocean shipping by 2030 to ensure a healthier, cleaner tomorrow for our communities and our climate,” said Kendra Ulrich, Shipping Campaigns Director for Stand.earth.