The Aspen Institute

January 13, 2022 — Yesterday, Maersk, one of the largest container shipping line and vessel operators in the world, announced new plans to accelerate their net zero greenhouse gas emission milestones and targets by 10 years. Their new 2040 target ensures that Maersk is aligned with Paris Agreement 1.5 degree Celsius goals. Even though the new target is described as “net zero,” Maersk clarified that any nature-based offsetting would only be used as a last resort to address minor residual emissions, go above and beyond their stated obligations to reduce and eventually eliminate actual greenhouse gas emissions, and would not be used to meet IMO and EU climate goals for shipping.

November 4, 2021 — Today, the World Economic Forum, in partnership with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, announced the First Movers Coalition, a new platform for companies to make purchasing commitments that create new market demand for low and zero carbon fuels and technologies. Among the eight “harder-to-abate” sectors addressed by the First Movers Coalition, an ambitious commitment was established for use of scalable zero-emission fuels in maritime shipping.

October 19, 2021 – Through a new collaborative, cargo owner-led network facilitated by the Aspen Institute, a group of climate-forward brands have announced a first-of-its-kind target to progressively switch all of their ocean freight to vessels powered by zero-carbon fuels by 2040. Amazon, Brooks Running, Frog Bikes, IKEA, Inditex, Michelin, Patagonia, Tchibo, and Unilever are the first signatories to a 2040 ambition statement facilitated by Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV). This ambition statement sends an important demand signal to the maritime value chain and bunker fuel producers that freight customers want zero-carbon shipping and they expect the industry to rapidly accelerate its decarbonization efforts in the years ahead. It also signals new interest by public-facing and climate-leading consumer goods companies and retailers to work collaboratively, deploy their capacities for innovation, and drive economies of scale to foster an economically viable marketplace for zero-carbon shipping.

October 14, 2021 – The Future Leaders Initiative at the Aspen Institute is seeking applications from individuals aged 18-30 to attend the second Future Leaders Climate Summit in Miami Beach, Florida, from March 3-7, 2022. The summit, which will take place as part of the recently announced Aspen Ideas: Climate event, will gather a diverse group of 100 young climate leaders to discuss climate policy, communications, advocacy, and individual action. Participants will have the opportunity to network, convene, and co-collaborate with some of the biggest voices in climate and have access to spaces that have historically excluded the voices of young people.

Sep 20, 2021 – The Aspen Institute and the City of Miami Beach today announced at a press conference that they are partnering to present “Aspen Ideas: Climate” in March 2022. The inclusive multi-day event will focus on global and local solutions to the climate crisis, bringing together policymakers, scientific experts, business leaders, innovators, artists, young leaders and the public. Miami Beach, which is hosting the event, faces some of the most serious effects of climate change and serves as a hub of innovation and collaborative solutions that have been embraced by elected officials as well as business and community leaders.

August 5, 2021 – The Nature Conservancy and the Aspen Institute have launched a new partnership to improve wildfire resilience in the United States. With more than 80 large U.S. wildfires currently threatening communities across 13 states and each wildfire season promising to be worse than the last, the two organizations are joining forces to convene leading voices over the coming year to gather expertise and input from a full range of stakeholders on the topic.