Press Release | ESG Playbook for Shipping
BCG and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping co-develop publicly available Playbook enabling shipping companies to build robust ESG strategies
Copenhagen, 8 February 2023
Today, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping launch the ESG Playbook for Shipping. The Playbook combines BCG’s globally recognized expertise in consulting services with the Center for Zero Carbon Shipping’s industry leading research capabilities in maritime decarbonization to empower shipping companies with the tools to navigate the ESG landscape and develop future-proof ESG strategies. The guide covers concrete recommendations on how to identify focus areas that generate value, set targets, implement best practice initiatives, and ensure organizational readiness.
Speaking on the launch of the Playbook, Bo Cerup-Simonsen, Chief Executive Officer at Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, said:
Peter Jameson, Partner and BCG's global lead on maritime sustainability and decarbonization, added:
The publicly available Playbook was piloted with Navigator Gas, a gas carrier company operating around 60 vessels globally. Speaking on the pilot, Mads Peter Zacho, CEO of Navigator Gas, said:
The shipping industry contributes 3% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of Germany, the sixth biggest emitter by country. A fact that underlines the vital need to change. The challenges are evident in the numbers: only 46% of the largest shipping companies have made pledges in line with IMO or net-zero commitments. In addition, there is limited sustainability reporting of ESG metrics—only 41% have GHG and sustainability reporting compared with 56% in the oil and gas industry.
The business landscape is rapidly changing on ESG. New regulation has been passed such as the inclusion of shipping in the EU’s Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), the IMO’s EEXI and CII ratings, and CSRD-mandated ESG disclosures. Customers are increasingly willing to pay a green premium and many investors are looking to divest from carbon intensive assets without a clear decarbonization strategy. To navigate the changing landscape and capture ESG value pools, while mitigating key risks, it’s best to have a structured and proven approach. The Playbook embodies such an approach and is developed to assist shipping companies of all sizes on their ESG journey.