By: Brent Perry

CEO Sterling PlanB
Chair, ZESTAs

A little Canadian town not far from where I live made international news a few weeks ago. In June this year, Lytton made headlines for being one of the hottest places on earth – at nearly 50C, or more than 120F. This village, in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, was hotter than it’s ever been in Las Vegas, 1300 miles to the south, and almost as hot as Kuwait and Sudan that day. A day later, Lytton made news again when, tragically, the town was incinerated – a victim of the wildfires wreaking havoc in this part of Canada this summer.

I’ve been concerned about climate change for a long time. But now, it’s next door.

This year could be one of the most important years in the fight to prevent climate catastrophe.
And those of us working in the maritime industry have our part to play.

It is code-red time.

Shifting the marine industry to clean energy is absolutely essential if we are to address climate change.

I’ve spent most of my adult life working to make clean energy choices possible for the marine industry.
I’m proud to be the chair of the Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association and to be helping my industry to be part of a cleaner world.

The International Maritime Organization is calling on international shipping to cut its GHG emissions by at least 50% of 2008 levels by 2050 and to reduce carbon intensity by 40% of 2008 levels by 2030.

COP26, the international climate change conference taking place in Glasgow this fall, will gather people from around the globe to take the actions which are needed to prevent climate emergencies.

Ship Zero is a pivotal opportunity for the maritime industry to consider how it can meet the current challenges. It is also a tipping point in terms of us moving towards solutions. Our members are leading the way in addressing how to help the marine sector decarbonize.

My company Sterling PlanB is supporting Ship Zero. And I’m calling on you to do so as well – with your ideas, with your participation, with whatever resources you can donate.

We need all of us working together.

The time is now for our sector to make real change. To do that, we have to be ready as a sector, and we need to ensure that decision-makers are fully aware of the robust clean energy options available to the marine sector.
SHIP ZERO is the event to achieve that. I look forward to seeing you in Glasgow this November.