Carbon War Room declares shipping ready to cut carbon emissions, at home of A.P. Moller - Maersk

Copenhagen, 16th December 5.15pm CET – The Carbon War Room is tonight hosting an evening reception with A.P. Moller - Maersk at the headquarters of the Danish shipping giant to showcase how progressive shipping lines have started to increase efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions using innovative low carbon technologies.

The event forms part of Carbon War Room’s operation in shipping designed to convene all stakeholders in the industry; shippers, large customers, port authorities and technology companies, around specific market-based solutions. This includes involving all the key players required, and putting together sometimes-unlikely partnerships to improve economic and environmental performance. The Carbon War Room is able to play a key role in bringing together this low carbon shipping “eco-system” as they are an independent body whose sole focus is on the delivery of a low carbon shipping economy.

The Carbon War Room's founder Sir Richard Branson and chairman Jose Maria Figueres will address the gathering with Nils Andersen, Group CEO A.P.Moller-Maersk, and will recognise the achievements of some shipping lines in using technologies such as power and propulsion system adaptation, speed optimization, efficient hull coatings and weather routing software, to reduce their environmental impact, with commercial benefit through increased efficiency. The IMO has identified latent efficiency in ships of between 25% and 75%, while payback on some technologies can be as little as six months at today's fuel prices.

The shipping industry, which faces IMO regulation on greenhouse gases in three to four years, will be well represented at the function, with senior executives from TORM, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics among representatives of other progressive shipping lines and environmental technology suppliers. Representatives of the Carbon War Room, the wider environmental NGO community, and senior politicians attending the UNFCCC climate change talks, which entered their last phase today, will join them.

Speaking ahead of the reception, Jose Maria Figueres said, “It is inspiring to see what can happen when the interests of business and the environment are aligned. Carbon War Room’s role in this operation will help to improve the working market, benefiting profits, people, and planet.”

Nils S. Andersen said, “At Maersk, we're looking at 100 ideas to save energy at any one time. If the right standards are set for shipping, our investments in new environmental technology will give us a competitive advantage, and hopefully induce other shipping companies to do the same. The push from NGOs like the Carbon War Room helps the whole transport sector stay on its toes.”

Sir Richard Branson commented, "The Carbon War Room is working to identify, speed and scale solutions that work for business and the planet. Innovation from leading shipping companies like A.P. Moller - Maersk and other players is vital if we are to achieve the reductions we need to avert the most harmful effects of climate change.  I congratulate their efforts, and call on other shippers to join them in this opportunity to lead the way towards a low carbon shipping market.  We at Virgin will continue to do the same in the airline sector.”

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About the Carbon War Room
The Carbon War Room harnesses the power of entrepreneurs to implement market-driven
solutions to climate change. The War Room’s unique approach focuses on bringing together
successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, policy experts, researchers, and thought leaders to focus on market-driven solutions. For more information, visit www.carbonwarroom.com

About A.P. Moller - Maersk
Headquartered in Copenhagen, the A.P. Møller - Maersk Group includes Maersk Line and Maersk Oil and a number of other companies within shipping, energy, logistics and retail, employing 120,000 people in 130 countries.

Contact
• Carbon War Room: Nick Blythe, Blue Communications, +44 79171 38723, nick@blue-comms.com
• A.P. Moller – Maersk: Michael Christian Storgaard, +45 3363 3534, michael.storgaard@maersk.com