ESG Today writes that the announcement makes Maersk the first company in the world to have its sustainability strategy validated under the SBTi’s Maritime Guidance, which was launched back in 2022 with the goal to help shipping companies set science-based long-term sustainability goals.

Rabab Raafat Boulos, Chief Operating Officer at A.P. Moller – Maersk, said that "we are committed to do our share to reach these targets, but we cannot do it alone. To succeed, we are dependent on and working with the ecosystem that we are part of, including customers, suppliers, industry peers and regulators."

Besides the broader goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, Maersk's objective for 2030 is to source all its energy requirements from renewables, as well as to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 35% and 22% by the same year.

To reduce operational emissions, Maersk officials said they will use green fuels, as well as improve fuel efficiency for their vessels, out of which 25 will run on 100% green methanol in the future.

Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition, A.P. Moller – Maersk, said that "these new targets are a proof-point that even as a company in a hard–to-abate sector, it is possible to adopt ambitious science-based targets and get them validated. We know that delivering on them will be a very difficult task, however, setting ambitious targets, both near- and long-term, is critical to our energy transition efforts as they drive action to secure material impact in this decade."