Sustainable Transport Pioneers Unite around Landmark Carbon-Neutral Bunkering, Cutting 4000 Tonnes of CO2 Using Marine Biofuel

by Emily Dove (GoodShipping) A ground-breaking partnership between 18 companies from around the world join GoodShipping for landmark carbon-neutral bunkering to reduce 4,000 tonnes of CO2 on several ship journeys between Rotterdam and the United Kingdom.

As the COP26 climate summit today holds discussions specifically focused on transport, sustainable cargo initiative GoodShipping has announced a new partnership with 18 companies that will substantially reduce emissions from shipping. Today, these cargo owners and other partners have completed the first in a series of bunkerings of sustainable marine biofuel in this COP26 related decarbonisation campaign that will reduce around 4,000 tonnes of emitted carbon dioxide (CO₂).

The Ship to Zero initiative brings together organisations spanning a range of nations and industries, including food production, consumer goods, chemicals, textiles, machinery and logistics, and all of which are united in their commitment to make an immediate and tangible climate impact. The initial partners of the initiative are Bugaboo, Cocoasource, DHL Global Forwarding, Dille & Kamille, Dopper, Geelen Counterflow, Lenzing, Loods5, Lush, Matsen Chemie, Nine & Co, Regent Ingredients, Samskip, Sipsmith, Tony’s Chocolonely, YOGI Tea, Yumeko and Zaytoun. The intention of the campaign is to show that making real climate action is possible already today, and to provide an example to all the policy decision-makers in Glasgow.

Each partner has committed to a specific reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions related to the transport of their products or services. Translating these pledges into tangible, traceable and demonstrable climate impact, GoodShipping has completed the first bio-bunkering of the container ship Samskip Innovator, during which fossil fuels were replaced by 100% sustainable biofuels. The partnership will see advanced biofuels used for a total of four or five trips from Rotterdam to Hull (UK), and a 4,000 tonnes CO₂ reduction as a result.

The refuelling has been achieved in partnership with GoodFuels, whose renewable biofuels deliver an 80-90% well-to-exhaust CO₂ reduction and are produced from certified sustainable feedstocks. These include among others used cooking oil (UCO) and waste animal fats, which are labelled as 100% waste or residues that cannot be used for any higher quality application or recycling. These renewable feedstocks are approved by an independent sustainability board, to ensure all biofuels meet the highest sustainability requirements.

As GoodShipping is based on the mass balance principle – the concept that all carbon is emitted into the same atmosphere – the vessel being refuelled will not necessarily carry the cargo that the partner companies have decided to transport carbon neutrally. The CO₂ reductions can be enabled on another oceangoing vessel, with GoodShipping’s strict sustainable accountability criteria ensuring that the partners’ decarbonisation commitments are delivered.

Tina Trinks, Commercial Manager at GoodShipping, said: “The Ship to Zero initiative demonstrates that concrete climate action is possible now, and that a tangible impact can be achieved by taking small steps together and breaking down collaborative barriers across industries. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, there is no time to waste, and cargo owners have a unique opportunity to move from intentions to action.

“We applaud the leadership of the partners who are working together to contribute to a better world for us all. Luckily, solutions are already available today, and our carbon insetting solution is a positive, easy and affordable way for proactive cargo owners to achieve a carbon-neutral supply chain. We invite more companies to take the next step towards carbon-neutral transportation now and join us in this unique partnership.”

Kathrin Brost, Global Head of GoGreen Program, DHL Global Forwarding: “We’re proud to join GoodShipping’s Ship to Zero voyage to make a positive climate impact today! This is a great, innovative way of showing that by joining forces we can make a difference and speed up the decarbonisation of marine shipping.”

Companies of all sizes, industries and locations can make immediate climate impact and be part of the growing list of sustainable transport pioneers already showing the world that organisations are taking the climate crisis seriously. READ MORE