BUNKERSPOT – Taylor Goelz and Michellie Hess of the Aspen Institute give an update on the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance’s activities in Bunkerspot’s Aug/Sept 2025 issue.
In less than two years, the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) has accomplished what many in the maritime sector saw as an impossible goal – bringing together the industry’s customers for more sustainable solutions. Through ZEMBA’s tender processes, members are paying a premium to reduce their shipping emissions in a strategic manner that accelerates the most scalable and long-term economically viable clean energy solutions for the sector. As we approach the conclusion of ZEMBA’s second tender – and given the geopolitical challenges facing the global clean energy transition – the role that ZEMBA plays by delivering concrete, collective private sector investment in scalable, measurable, on-the-water emissions reduction is more
important than ever.
The maritime industry faces a fundamental chicken-and-egg problem in developing and scaling a market for new clean energy-derived fuels and technologies. Demand is stymied by high initial predicted costs of shipping services powered by these solutions. A resulting lack of sufficient committed demand from corporate freight buyers erodes investor confidence, as well as any appetite for risk among maritime stakeholders who will need to order new types of vessels, build new fuel production facilities, and create supportive policy at global, regional, and national levels. ZEMBA’s unique ability to accelerate the commercialisation of clean energy-powered shipping solutions is needed to address these issues head on
To read the rest of the article, check out ZEMBA’s LinkedIn page here.
