SSI: Sustainability of marine fuels must be considered in shipping’s decarbonisation

According to the SSI, environmental, ecological, social, and socio-economic impacts need to be considered to assess the sustainability of shipping fuels.

The SSI outlines fifteen significant issues, principles, and criteria that highlights the need for sustainability of marine fuel to allow for the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, including GHG emissions and carbon intensity.

Other considerations, such as air quality, human rights, and food security, also need to be addressed to understand the full lifecycle of marine fuel.

In discussions around decarbonisation, the report aims to make sure sustainability is considered on equal level with availability, cost, and technical feasibility. This will allow for informed decision-making around value chain risks and where to direct investment, purchase, and consumption.

Ingrid Marie Andersen, Head of Decarbonisation Targets and Life Cycle Analysis, A.P. Moller Maersk, said: “It is crucial that we apply a lifecycle perspective to the entire well-to-wake greenhouse gas footprint of the fuel, consider all greenhouse gasses, and in addition ensure that the production and use of the fuel is not associated with adverse and undesirable effects on e.g. biodiversity.”

Dr. Henrik Sornn-Friese, Director and Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School Maritime, said: “Today, the sustainability debate tends to focus on environmental factors, while social and especially economic sustainability are often overlooked. We need a set of sustainability criteria for assessing alternative marine fuels that is holistic, explicable and can be used by a broad range of stakeholders.”

Simon Bennett, General Manager – Sustainable Development, Swire Shipping Pte Ltd, said: “The science is clear; to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, we must act now to cut global emissions. We in the shipping sector must also play our part and many, Swire Shipping included, have set a target of zero carbon emissions by latest 2050, and preferably well before then.”