Our Journey to Net Zero
Climate action is a global imperative, requiring collective action as we navigate our journey to net zero. MSC has a key role to play in decarbonizing logistics, collaborating with others across the value chain to accelerate solutions at scale, while ensuring a just energy transition. As a key part of our customers’ supply chains, we see ourselves as partners in decarbonization and enablers of their increasingly ambitious climate targets.
We enable logistics decarbonization by aiming for carbon neutrality; supporting logistics transition solutions; and maintaining a focus on energy efficiency.
MSC envisages a net zero future that will see shipping draw on a combination of fuels, and our focus is on ensuring the readiness of our fleet to adopt zero-carbon fuels as they become available. While recognizing the uncertainty around their availability we expect zero-carbon fuels will become increasingly available from 2030 onwards following which our industry will see a sharp acceleration in deep emissions reductions.
We believe that synthetic and bio-methanol, green ammonia and bio and synthetic Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), may become fuel choices for larger ocean-going vessels, while green hydrogen, batteries and fuel cells may be used for smaller vessels and short-sea shipping.
The transition to a low-carbon economy requires broad collective action and productive partnerships among actors across and beyond shipping. By cooperating and collaborating with others, we capitalize and build on the interdependencies between ocean-going and inland logistics as well as other sectors providing fuels, distribution systems and infrastructure. Read more about our partnerships for decarbonization here.
As part of our decarbonization pathway, MSC is pursuing transition solutions with the potential to accelerate the energy transition, including the adoption of low-carbon marine fuels. Newbuildings as well as the retrofitting of existing vessels with flexible fuel burning capability are also key to the transition to sustainable energy sources.
Through our carbon insetting programme we are joining forces with our customers to reduce supply chain emissions using transition fuels such as biofuel. Fossil-based LNG offers opportunities to transition to bio- and synthetic LNG as these become available at scale.
As we work towards our net-zero target, we have set goals to progressively reduce our carbon intensity by implementing an array of energy efficiency measures. Our fleet renewal plan includes the delivery of energy efficient newbuildings as well as ongoing implementation of our retrofit programme. Vessel performance and route optimisation are key elements of our energy efficiency programme, ensuring our compliance with IMO regulations including the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) introduced in 2023.
- Major network overhaul, including newbuildings and a far-reaching retrofit programme.
- Fleet digitalisation and a high-frequency data collection system, using machine learning and AI.
- Underwater hull inspection and cleaning scheme.
- Monitoring and progressive optimisation of all voyages.
- Installation of onboard energy-saving devices.
- Crew awareness and training on new fuels, technologies and vessel infrastructure.
- Deployment of low- and zero-carbon fuels as they become available at scale.