Getting to Zero Coalition

Getting to Zero Coalition
Name	Getting to Zero Coalition
Type	Coalition
Founded	2017
Headquarters	London; New York
Region served	Global

Getting to Zero Coalition is an international alliance formed to accelerate development and deployment of zero-emission shipping technologies and fuels through collaboration among industry, finance, and policy stakeholders. The coalition brings together maritime operators, energy firms, shipbuilders, investors, certification bodies, and multilateral organizations to create demand signals, de-risk projects, and influence regulatory pathways. It operates at the intersection of maritime transport, energy transition, and climate policy to enable decarbonization of deep-sea shipping.

Background and Formation

The initiative was launched in 2017 with a public announcement that involved the World Economic Forum, Global Maritime Forum, and other stakeholders linked to discussions at forums such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference and meetings of the International Maritime Organization. Founding momentum drew on antecedents including campaigns by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, research from International Energy Agency, and industry dialogues featuring participants from Maersk, Shell, BP, and Siemens. Early convenings referenced precedents like the Kyoto Protocol debates and the Paris Agreement's influence on transportation decarbonization, while coordination involved nongovernmental actors such as Rockefeller Foundation and European Commission advisors.

Objectives and Targets

The coalition set ambitious targets aligned with pathways promoted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and scenarios modeled by the International Renewable Energy Agency. Core objectives include achieving commercially viable zero-emission vessels by 2030 on scalable trade routes, in line with emission reduction commitments resembling those in the Paris Agreement. The initiative emphasizes deployment of alternative fuels—such as hydrogen, ammonia, and biofuels—consistent with studies from DNV, Lloyd's Register, and International Chamber of Shipping. It also aims to mobilize finance instruments used by entities like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and European Investment Bank to underwrite infrastructure and early adopter premiums.

Membership and Governance

Membership spans a spectrum of private and public actors: shipping lines including CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company; energy companies such as TotalEnergies, Equinor, and ExxonMobil; shipyards like Hyundai Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering; and classification societies such as Bureau Veritas and American Bureau of Shipping. Governance arrangements mirror multi-stakeholder platforms like UN Global Compact and employ advisory input from think tanks including International Council on Clean Transportation and Carbon Trust. Steering committees include representatives from financial institutions akin to BlackRock and Goldman Sachs, while technical working groups coordinate with regulators similar to the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization.

Key Projects and Initiatives

The coalition catalyzes pilot corridors, vessel retrofits, and fuel production hubs modeled after corridor concepts championed by Mission Innovation and the Hydrogen Council. Notable project types include green ammonia bunkering pilots inspired by demonstrations from Yara and Statoil, hydrogen fuel-cell ferry trials comparable to those by Nel ASA and ABB, and methanol dual-fuel conversions similar to operations by Knutsen OAS Shipping. Initiatives also include lifecycle fuel certification efforts akin to protocols by ISCC, supply chain mapping similar to Trident Alliance studies, and demand aggregation platforms drawing on mechanisms used by RE100 and Science Based Targets initiative.

Partnerships and Funding

To scale capital flows, the coalition works with multilateral development banks like the International Finance Corporation and bilateral initiatives comparable to the Green Climate Fund. Funding draws on blended finance structures used by Climate Investment Funds and guarantees resembling instruments from the Export–Import Bank of the United States or Euler Hermes. Strategic partnerships include collaborations with ports such as Port of Rotterdam and Port of Singapore, energy hubs like Ras Laffan projects, and academic partners in the mold of MIT, ETH Zurich, and University of Tokyo to validate technology pathways. Private investment partners mirror the participation of institutional investors including Temasek and Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund-style actors.

Impact, Progress, and Criticisms

Progress metrics reported by the coalition have included commitments to pilot zero-emission routes and aggregated expressions of interest from operators, resembling pledge dynamics seen in initiatives like Race to Zero. Independent verification and scenario analysis have been undertaken by bodies such as Carbon Disclosure Project and Material Economics-style consultancies. Criticisms mirror debates in climate policy arenas: concerns about reliance on unproven fuels echo controversies around carbon capture and storage and biofuel land-use implications discussed in Convention on Biological Diversity contexts; questions about equitable financing and technology transfer recall issues raised in UNFCCC negotiations; and skepticism about voluntary pledges parallels critique of initiatives like Science Based Targets initiative before reform. Observers from Transport & Environment and academic commentators in journals associated with Nature and Science have urged clearer timelines, stricter safeguards, and alignment with regulatory measures from entities such as the International Maritime Organization.

Category:Maritime transport Category:Climate change mitigation