Decarbonising Shipping
Shell is working with customers and partners in the shipping industry to help accelerate decarbonisation towards a net-zero emissions future for shipping. ‘All Hands on Deck’ is a joint report by Shell and Deloitte which captures the industry view of how to decarbonise shipping. In ‘Setting Shell’s Course' Shell outlines how it is contributing to progress on decarbonisation across the industry and the actions it is taking in its own shipping operations to lower emissions.
‘All Hands on Deck’ is a joint report with Deloitte that outlines industry perspectives of how to accelerate decarbonisation of the shipping sector. ‘All Hands on Deck’ presents 12 recommendations for action, drawn from the views of 80 senior shipping executives, representing 22 countries and almost all segments of the industry.
Building on that research, ‘Setting Shell’s Course’ highlights the important role that hydrogen and fuel cells could play in decarbonising shipping, and sets out Shell’s ambition for a net-zero emissions sector by 2050.
Why decarbonise?
Shipping is the backbone of the global economy. It is by far the most efficient mode of freight transport and transports approximately 80% of the world’s trade volume, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). However, as the industry’s development continues, it generates increasing carbon emissions from shipping.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set an ambition to reduce the carbon intensity of emissions from shipping by at least 40% by 2030, and 70% by 2050, compared with 2008 levels. To achieve this, the shipping industry needs to unite in taking urgent action.
Today, there is an opportunity to create a new paradigm through a set of manageable, practical solutions that could break the deadlock and accelerate decarbonisation. Making this happen requires collaboration within the shipping industry itself, across the broader shipping ecosystem and with other sectors.
Dialogue on decarbonisation
Shell and MSC, a world leader in global shipping, are discussing ways to help achieve a net-zero emissions shipping industry.
Decarbonising Shipping
Title: Decarbonising Shipping: All Hands on Deck
Duration: 1:39 minutes
Description:
A joint research report from Shell and Deloitte outlines industry perspectives on decarbonising the shipping sector.
The “Decarbonising Shipping: All Hands on Deck” report sets out the views of more than 80 senior shipping executives from across the sector and presents a roadmap of solutions to help the industry meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decarbonisation ambitions. An overwhelming 95% of shipping executives interviewed view decarbonisation as important or a top three priority and nearly 80% noted that its importance had increased significantly over the past 18 months.
Decarbonising Shipping: All Hands on Deck Transcript
[Background music plays]
Confident, aspiring music plays.
[Visuals]
A container ship loaded with cargo is pulled through the water by tug boats.
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Can a net-zero ship be built by 2030?
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A ship moves through the sea.
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Many shipping leaders think it’s critical
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The deck of a ship as it moves through the ocean.
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but it’s a complex challenge.
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From high in the air, we see a container ship docking at a container terminal.
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The shipping industry has to start now to meet the goal
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A ship moves from right to left across the screen.
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to at least halve shipping CO2 emissions by 2050.
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Two men have a discussion in an office.
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Shell and Deloitte believe collaboration and openness are vital
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An audience listens to a speaker at a summit.
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to break the current decarbonisation “deadlock”.
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Four workshop participants discuss and group ideas on sticky notes.
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80 shipping leaders from around the world
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A split-screen shows: container ships in a harbour on the left; and a welder building a ship on the right.
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ship owners and builders
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A split-screen shows: a birds-eye view of shipping containers on the left; and two men in an office looking at a computer tablet on the right.
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customers and financiers
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A split-screen shows: a cruise ship entering a port on the left, and man in a high visibility jump suit working at a computer in a facility control room on the right.
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ports and suppliers
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Three people have a meeting in the lobby of an office building and look at a laptop.
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shared their views with us.
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Text is shown on a solid yellow background.
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A way to break the deadlock emerged
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Ships moving in fast-motion or at anchor in a port.
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A new roadmap of practical solutions
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The sun rises behind a silhouetted container ship.
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to accelerate shipping decarbonisation
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A split-screen shows: a forklift moving pallets in a warehouse on the left, and a ship moving through the ocean on the right.
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From scaling up demand for lower-carbon shipping and global regulatory alignment
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A split-screen combines two different large ships seen from above into a single image.
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to port coalitions and improving operational efficiency
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Text animates onto a solid yellow background.
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It may seem daunting
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A man and a women have a discussion while looking at a computer screen.
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but there is a clear sense of unity and optimism
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A man on stage with a microphone addresses an audience.
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As one shipping CEO told us
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A NASA Space Shuttle docked and an astronaut doing a space-walk in space.
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“We can build rockets that come back from the moon but not make ships green?”
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Text animates onto a solid yellow background.
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“No way. We can do it.”
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The Shell Pecten on a white background. Text fades up.
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#MakeTheFuture
Can shipping navigate to net zero?
It’s the backbone of global trade, but there’s a challenge when it comes to lowering carbon emissions. What will it take to get shipping in to shape? The Energy Podcast brings together DNV GL, the Port of Rotterdam, Wan Hai Lines, Environmental Defense Fund, Deloitte and Shell.
Explore the publications
Download ‘All Hands on Deck’ report
Explore “Decarbonising Shipping: All Hands on Deck” which outlines a roadmap of how to accelerate decarbonisation of the shipping sector.
Download ‘All Hands on Deck’ Executive summary
Download the executive summary of “Decarbonising Shipping: All Hands on Deck” on how to accelerate shipping decarbonisation.
Download ‘Setting Shell’s Course’ report
Read Shell’s strategy for decarbonisation, how it is lowering emissions today, and how it hopes to accelerate the industry’s transition to net-zero emissions.
Media release
Read the media release for the ‘Setting Shell’s Course’ report.
"We know that shipping is one of the harder sectors to decarbonise, which is why we are working with our customers and the wider industry to identify possible solutions. The ‘All Hands on Deck’ report shows the urgent effort required by industry to reduce carbon emissions. It stems from Shell’s own ambition to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner. To achieve that, we need to work with our customers."
Huibert Vigeveno, Downstream Director of Shell
IN FOCUS
Greenhouse gas emissions in shipping
Shipping emissions are expected to continue to grow, increasing the importance of addressing barriers to decarbonisation to reduce shipping emissions.
The dilemma of shipping
Shipping is vital to the global economy and never more so than during the global pandemic, keeping up the supply of essential goods.
A solution based on efficiency
The dilemma for the shipping industry is the balance between the need for change and the cost of change.
Unleashing customer power
The scale of the challenge to cut carbon emissions in the shipping industry requires urgent action on many fronts and across the whole industry.
"The shipping industry needs to develop the new technologies, fuels and infrastructure required for a net-zero emissions sector at a pace never previously seen. We have listened to our customers and partners in the sector and we have set ourselves an ambitious course. I hope that by doing so, openly and transparently, others will be encouraged to join us and help create a net-zero emissions future for shipping."
Grahaeme Henderson, Global Head of Shipping & Maritime