The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) was founded in 2010 by Forum for the Future in collaboration with WWF and industry leaders ABN Amro, BP Shipping, Gearbulk, Lloyd’s Register, and Maersk Line.

In the decade since, SSI has worked to accelerate progress and collectively address industry gaps in areas ranging from closed loop materials management, to sustainable finance, and shipping’s decarbonisation. Our members span the entire shipping ecosystem, from charterers, shipowners and shipyards, to ports, banks, classification societies and NGOs.

2022

2021

2020

  • First SRTI Progress Report launched at Tradewinds 2019 Ship Recycling Forum, compiling data on the ship recycling approaches of 7 shipowners. SRTI highly commended at the Responsible Business Awards under category Partnership of the Year; also a finalist in the Responsible Supply Chain and Transparency & Reporting categories
  • Multi-stakeholder debate convened by Decarbonisation working group, supported by Forum for the Future, on the potential role of sustainable biofuels in the decarbonisation of shipping, including a series of consultations and a high-level event at Climate Week NYC. The role of sustainable biofuels in shipping’s decarbonisation report launched at the UN Climate Conference (COP25) in Madrid
  • South32 becomes an SSI member
  • SSI joins the Getting to Zero Coalition as a knowledge partner for the Fuels and Technologies workstream
  • SSI awarded Safety4Sea Sustainability Award
2019

2018

  • SSI membership grows to include Louis Dreyfus Company and RightShip
2017

  • SSI launches Roadmap for a sustainable shipping industry, laying out the pathways and defining tangible milestones to be collectively achieved over the coming decades.
2016

  • Low Carbon working group commissions study informing SSI’s position on GHG emissions and making our collective voice heard at the IMO
  • SSI wins The Guardian Sustainable Business Award
  • First SSI Ship Recycling Roundtable takes place with the goal of exploring key challenges and barriers to achieving widespread sustainable ship recycling operations on a global basis, and establishing ways to help the industry collectively move forward
  • Development of the Seafarer Charter by Social Sustainability working group aimed at making seafaring a more attractive career choice by improving quality of life onboard ships
2015

  • ABS, DNV and IMC join the SSI
  • “Driving transformation in the value chain: How customers are raising the bar for the entire industry” position paper launches at Capital Link’s Shipping and Offshore CSR Forum
  • SSI members sign shared commitments, agreeing to publicly report on sustainability, set clear emission reduction targets, among others, setting a clear benchmark for sustainable practices in the industry
2014

  • AkzoNobel, Namura and U-Ming Marine Transport join the SSI
  • SSI’s progress report “A Case for More Action” is launched, developed in line with the Case for Action and the Vision for 2040
  • A series of member case studies is published, highlighting SSI members’ work in the four working groups: Finance, Material Management, Energy Technology and Credible Benchmarking
2013

  • Four SSI working groups announced at Singapore Maritime Week: Finance, Material Management, Energy Technology and Credible Benchmarking, with initial outputs including the Save As You Sail (SAYS) financial model and a web-based benchmarking tool to help charterers identify suitable rating schemes for their use
2012

  • Case for Action is published, identifying 7 global trends expected to profoundly affect the maritime sector over the period 2010-2040
  • SSI membership grows to include Bunge, Carnival Corporation, The China Navigation Company, Morgan Stanley, and Unilever
  • Vision for 2040 signed by SSI members, setting out their aspirations backed up by specific commitments for action to address the sustainability challenges identified in the Case for Action
2011

  • SSI founded by Forum for the Future, WWF and an ambitious group of shipping leaders: ABN Amro, BP Shipping, Gearbulk, Lloyd’s Register, and Maersk Line
  • SSI membership grows to include Cargill, DSME, Rio Tinto Marine, RSA, Tsakos Energy Navigation, Wärtsilä
2010