Ship It Zero urges shipping companies and retailers to accelerate the use of e-fuels

In response to Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) accepting bids for its e-fuel-focused tender, Ship It Zero, a climate and public health campaign to move the world’s largest retail companies to 100% zero-emission ocean shipping, has called on shipping companies and retailers such as Amazon and IKEA to accelerate the use of e-fuels.

Jonathan Butler, Pacific Environment’s Climate Campaign Manager for Corporate and Lead Representative of the Ship It Zero campaign, congratulated ZEMBA on the start of the tender process, stating: “Its continued emphasis on e-fuels, and the interest from corporations who will bid, show an important signal that the industry is ready to invest in zero-emission shipping. We are looking forward to the results of this current tender process as e-fuels, at scale, get closer to becoming a reality.”

Butler mentioned scientist James Hansen’s prediction that the world is likely overshooting 2°C warming and that some global tipping points are likely imminent because our planet might be even more sensitive to greenhouse gases (GHG) than scientists predicted, noting: “We will see a cascading series of global tipping points, from collapsing ice sheets to catastrophic sea-level rise if we don’t meet the climate crisis head-on.”

“Meanwhile, the shipping industry had a significant surge in profits in 2024, with some estimates recording $26.8 billion in the third quarter alone. The industry has the money to transform itself and set itself on an immediate trajectory to align shipping with the U.N.’s climate goals, but it continues to put profits over people and the planet. This is why ZEMBA’s action to partner with retail corporations can be a powerful lever and send a market signal to the container shipping industry.”

The representative concluded: “We continue to call on retailers and ocean shipping companies to accelerate the timeline for e-fuels and truly address the climate crisis through emission reductions. The pollution frontline and fenceline communities are facing each day demands urgent action from the shipping industry.”

As mentioned, ZEMBA is now accepting bids for its e-fuel-focused tender, through which it intends to aggregate approximately 86 billion tonne nautical miles of demand for the emissions abatement associated with e-fuel-powered shipping to be deployed starting in 2027.

Through this second tender, ZEMBA will, reportedly, enable its member companies to abate approximately 500,000 metric tonnes of GHG emissions, subject to final commercial details. Results are expected to be announced by the end of 2025.