Over 70 maritime leaders gathered earlier this week at a Decarbonization Summit on the new Utopia, hosted by the Royal Caribbean Group in partnership with the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. The attendees represented a diverse range of sectors within the maritime ecosystem, including technology developers, fuel providers, shipbuilders, operators, and ports. The focus of the Summit was on three primary themes: the advancement of technology, the potential of alternative fuels, and the development of policy and regulatory frameworks.
Jason Liberty, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, said that achieving net zero is not a goal any one company can achieve on its own; it necessitates collective problem-solving, creative thinking, and the readiness to engage in difficult discussions. He noted that the Summit had initiated steps to encourage open dialogue that will help create an environment where achieving net zero is both attainable and sustainable.

The Summit underscored three critical areas for enhancing industry collaboration to achieve net zero emissions within the next 25 years:

1. Technology: There was a consensus on the need for an independent network or platform that would facilitate the sharing of important findings from pilot and testing programs in the maritime sector.
2. Fuel: There was advocacy for the establishment of an independent third-party platform that could aggregate demand for low-carbon fuels by location, offering insights to better prepare for the supply of alternative fuels.
3. Policy: The participants supported the development of principles that outline essential policy actions to promote industry decarbonization goals, which are intended to guide progress within the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO of the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, remarked, “The shipping industry is in a critically important phase where the pathway to a sustainable future is now being shaped by concrete plans and actions. The cruise industry faces its own needs and opportunities on the road to decarbonization but also holds a lot of valuable insights that can benefit of the rest of the maritime industry,”
He praised the Royal Caribbean Group, “With this event Royal Caribbean Group demonstrates exemplary first mover leadership by taking responsibility beyond their own agenda, fostering important in-depth discussions, collaboration, knowledge sharing and action across the ecosystem to further strengthen the acceleration towards a decarbonized maritime industry.”