SBTi to Recognize Indirect Mitigation Strategies
Today, the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) and Katalist convened a group of 13 first mover organizations across the maritime sector, including A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S, Liquid Wind, NORDEN, Patagonia, Swire Shipping Pte. Ltd, Swire Bulk Pte. Ltd, Tchibo, and Unifeeder A/S, for the first time to share joint perspectives on the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)’s Corporate Net Zero Standard 2.0.
Currently undergoing major revision, SBTi’s globally recognized Standard aims to provide companies with requirements, guidance, and best practices toward setting and achieving emissions reductions and net-zero targets.
SBTi’s latest draft Standard represents a milestone: it is the first time the organization has formally acknowledged indirect mitigation as an essential component of a company’s net-zero pathway
The maritime transport industry - often regarded as one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize - is emerging as a leader in heavy industry’s climate transition. Through active participation in SBTi’s public consultation and an open letter released today, stakeholders emphasized the pivotal role of indirect mitigation strategies in enabling the sector’s shift to clean energy.
In the initial stages of this transition, direct emissions reductions face hurdles related to transparency and verification. Conversely, indirect approaches - such as book-and-claim mechanisms - can stimulate demand and direct capital toward developing markets for advanced, scalable fuels and technologies. These solutions allow companies to invest beyond the offerings of their carriers, accelerating systemic change.
SBTi’s latest draft Standard represents a milestone: it is the first time the organization has formally acknowledged indirect mitigation as an essential component of a company’s net-zero pathway.
Feedback to SBTi from maritime sector leaders focused on specific clarifications regarding indirect mitigation that SBTi could make in a final draft to build off rigorous work already being done in this sector. The letter and responses also highlighted how with the support of SBTi, indirect mitigation efforts have the potential to help scale critical technologies faster than direct supplier engagement in many harder-to-abate sectors like maritime.
The leadership of Katalist, ZEMBA and these 13 other first movers is a driving force in the maritime sector’s clean energy transition, but voluntary private sector action needs guidance from organizations like SBTi toward the mutual goal of facilitating credible corporate emissions abatement in line with a net-zero goal.
Kim Drenner, director of supply chain environmental impact at Patagonia
Patagonia views indirect mitigation—reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our supply chain—as a necessary component of our strategy to achieve net zero by 2040.
Indirect mitigation supports collective action, encourages policy development and enables us to channel investments directly into our supply chain by supporting technologies such as e-fuels in transportation and transitioning textile mills to renewable energy. Because our supply chain partners serve many companies, this work can drive large-scale decarbonization and help industries from apparel to transportation reduce their carbon footprints.
Henrik Røjel, Head of Decarbonisation & Climate Solutions at NORDEN
Book & Claim solutions play a vital role in accelerating the adoption of low-carbon fuels across the maritime industry.
By helping to secure demand, they contribute to unlocking the investments required to scale the production and deployment of alternative fuels. We welcome SBTi’s recognition of the value of indirect mitigation (Book & Claim) as a way for companies to reduce their supply chain emissions, as reflected in the draft update to its Corporate Net-Zero Standard (CNZS 2.0). This acknowledgment can provide the confidence and clarity needed to drive real progress on decarbonisation in the maritime industry and other hard-to-abate sectors.