French energy giant Total joined the “Getting to Zero Coalition” to support the maritime industry's decarbonization by collaborating with companies across the maritime, energy, infrastructure and finance sectors, the company announced on Monday.
“The Getting to Zero Coalition’s ambition is to help achieve the target set by the International Maritime Organization to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050 - compared to 2008 levels,” the company said in a statement.
Total said the coalition also aims, through its members, at getting commercially viable deep-sea zero-emission vessels powered by zero-emission fuels into operation by 2030.
Leveraging its expertise, Total will contribute to the Coalition’s focus areas including fuels, marine lubricants, and ship zero-emission technologies, it added.
“As a major energy player, Total is already developing cleaner fuels for the maritime industry,” Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of Total, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“We share the ambition to get to net-zero emissions by 2050, together with society, for our global operations. By joining the Getting to Zero Coalition, we want to push innovation and foster collective actions with all the stakeholders of the industry, thus contributing more efficiently to the reduction of the carbon footprint of maritime transport and its energy value chains,” he added.
Total is already actively working on improving the environmental footprint of the shipping industry, through the development of marine LNG supply infrastructure, fuel-efficient lubricants, biofuels and batteries. It has also recently announced the long-term chartering of two LNG-propelled Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC).
The Getting to Zero Coalition was launched at the UN Climate Summit in New York on Sept. 23, 2019, as a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, Friends of the Oceans and the World Economic Forum. It is made up of more than 120 public and private entities and has been backed by governments of 14 nations, including France and the UK.
By Sibel Morrow
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr