Setting High Ambition
Maritime Book & Claim
Carbon Accounting
Without credible book and claim approaches, demand for zero-emission solutions in hard-to-abate sectors like maritime shipping will be severely stifled, slowing the clean energy transition at a time in history when it must be accelerating. Sectors like maritime shipping require the use of book and claim systems to transparently verify and track environmental attributes certificates, to bring new fuels and technologies to scale. Appropriately accounting for these emissions reductions in corporate GHG inventories and toward Scope 3 targets will be essential to build confidence in these new markets.
For this reason, ZEMBA is working with partners at the Center for Green Market Activation, which leads the Advanced and Indirect Mitigation (AIM) Platform, to ensure that credible Scope 3 emissions reductions through book and claim systems will be supported under various carbon accounting and target-setting frameworks, including the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGp).
Among the services we provide, ZEMBA will also offer our members specific guidance on how exactly to apply evolving carbon accounting rules to ZEMBA specific procurements of maritime environmental attribute certificates.
Learn more about the AIM Platform.
Maritime Energy Policy
ZEMBA’s forward procurement processes and role engaging with the broader carbon accounting and corporate sustainability communities provides essential real-world insights to inform the development of ambitious global decarbonization policy, including by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which is the global regulatory body for shipping. The Aspen Institute, which serves as ZEMBA’s secretariat, regularly works to share the lessons learned through ZEMBA’s tender processes to support the IMO and other regulatory bodies. This includes domestic agencies in key geographies, particularly around the development of robust lifecycle assessment guidelines and regulatory measures as well as incentives that can close the cost gap for scalable, sustainable fuels and accelerate their production and deployment.
Catalyzing decarbonization in the maritime sector will require the creation of credible, transparent measures that provide sector-wide certainty, verifiable GHG reductions, and a level playing field for climate leaders across the value chain. ZEMBA can support this by providing credible real-world evidence to policymakers of the feasibility of adopting clean energy solutions and help bolster policymaker confidence in private sector support for the maritime clean energy transition.
IMO 101 Fact Sheet
This document provides an overview of the International Maritime Organization and its structure, leadership, and decision-making processes.
Spring 2025 IMO Open Letter
Ahead of critical International Maritime Organization meetings in spring 2025, Ingrid Irigoyen, President and CEO of ZEMBA, sent a letter to IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez urging the IMO to approve a clear, comprehensive, globally consistent set of measures that supports first mover freight buyers and drives a predictable and reliable clean energy transition in the maritime sector. The letter drew on lessons learned from ZEMBA’s innovative collective forward procurement processes over the past two years and conversations with first movers to identify five critical policy provisions for the IMO to focus on.
The letter received attention from the press, including the Journal of Commerce and Lloyd’s List.
IMO Policy Brief Nov 2024 – ISWG-GHG 17 and MEPC 82: Progress, Critical Questions, and What’s Next
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) held its 17th session of the Intersessional Working Group on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gases from Ships (ISWG-GHG 17) from September 23-27, 2024, and the 82nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 82) from September 30-October 4, 2024. These meetings were the latest points on the IMO’s path to adopting globally-binding measures to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping.
This policy brief provides an overview of the IMO’s meetings in 2024, including ISWG-GHG 17 and MEPC 82. The brief also identifies critical policy elements and highlights outstanding issues that the IMO must address to provide the regulatory certainty needed to ensure a predictable, effective, and efficient transition.
IMO Policy Brief April 2024 – Global Measures to Reduce GHG Emissions from Shipping: Overview, Updates, and Outstanding Questions
The Aspen Institute Energy and Environment team drafted a policy brief titled “Global Measures to Reduce Emissions from Shipping: Overview, Updates, and Outstanding Questions” which provides a comprehensive summary of the 16th session of the Intersessional Working Group on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gases from Ships (ISWG-GHG 16) and the 82nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81) at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The policy brief also serves as a primer, providing additional background on the proposed IMO measures to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and identifying outstanding questions that will be important to consider as the IMO continues to build its regulatory framework.
Report – Catalyzing Demand for Decarbonized Shipping Solutions: Reflections and Insights from the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance’s Inaugural Tender
In September 2023, the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) released its inaugural tender, seeking bids for the environmental attributes associated with zero-emission shipping services beginning in 2025. The successful conclusion of ZEMBA’s first tender was announced in April 2024.
This report was developed to document the key details, reflections, and insights from ZEMBA’s inaugural tender. The report was included as an annex to an informational paper submitted to the International Maritime Organization for its consideration by the U.S. and Singapore delegations (MEPC 82/INF.13).
