With around 80-90% of goods transported on ships at some point in the supply chain, the internatioal shipping industry is estimated to account for nearly 3% of the world’s CO2 emissions, making it a critical component to tackling carbon goals and avoiding the most dire effects of climate change.

While the UN International Maritime Organization has set an initial strategy of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels, the international regulator is coming under increasing pressure to eliminate carbon emissions entirely by mid-century.

Not wanting to wait on the IMO, however, some in the private sector have taken it upon themselves to self-regulate, setting net zero by 2050 or better goals for their fleets.

In this video by Bloomberg Quicktake, they dive into the inherent problems with eliminating carbon emissions from ocean-going ships and novel solutions that can help reduce shipping’s dangerous carbon footprint by taking a look at some of the projects and initiatives that we have discussed in-depth here on gCaptain, such as the Yara Birkeland and Maersk’s carbon neutral methanol-fueled ships, as well as other alternative fuels, to help dirty ships clean up their act.