Initiatives
Join Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance
ABOUT ZEMBA
The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) is a first-of-its-kind buyers group within the maritime sector with the mission to accelerate commercial deployment of zero-emission (ZE) shipping, enable economies of scale, and help cargo owners maximize emissions reduction beyond what any one freight buyer could accomplish alone. Through demand aggregation and a competitive forward procurement process, ZEMBA members will gain early access to ZE shipping services not currently available and build confidence among the rest of the maritime value chain to invest in ZE solutions.
ZEMBA is an initiative of Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV) and facilitated by the Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program.
ZEMBA 101 – Reducing Scope 3 Emissions and Kickstarting a Market for ZE Fuels and Technology
PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS - JOIN NOW!
ZEMBA membership is open to any company that purchases ocean-going, container freight services. Together, members will:
- Low risk, cost competitive access to the environmental attributes associated ZE shipping services
- Lower Scope 3 emissions
- Catalyze ZE investments across the maritime sector
- Effectively demonstrate climate leadership
When considering ZEMBA membership, please remember
- No membership fee
- Contracting is bilateral with no impact to your current logistics or procurement practices
- By acting ahead of regulation, your company can show demonstrable climate leadership and avoid the costs of delayed action
- There is no obligation to participate in future RfPs
To join ZEMBA as a member, please email zemba@aspeninstitute.org.
PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS
In September 2023, ZEMBA launched a Request for Proposals (RfP) for 600,000 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) over a three-year period on ocean vessels powered by ZE fuels.
This RfP will help ZEMBA members reduce ~1 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to taking 215,000 cars off the road. The RfP is the first major buyer-led initiative to accelerate the transition to zero-emission maritime fuels.
For the RfP, ZEMBA has developed a multifaceted ZE fuels criteria and in depth lifecycle analysis (LCA) guidelines to guide bidders in their submission of bids.
For this first RfP, ZEMBA will consider bids that meet the following criteria:
- Sufficient capacity to cover 600,000+ TEUs across a distance of 6,000 nautical miles/~11,000 km over three years.
- Fuels that provide GHG emission reductions of at least 90% compared to traditional fossil fuels on a lifecycle basis.
- Transparent fuel lifecycle emissions to validate emission reduction claims.
ZEMBA’s ZE fuels definition and LCA guidelines used in this first-round RfP can be found below.
All carriers interested carriers who can meet ZEMBA’s qualifications are welcome to bid. To access the RfP document, contact us.
For potential bidders interested in gaining more information specifically about the RfP, please email rfp.zemba@aspeninstitute.org.

ZEMBA Members
- Amazon
- Bauhaus
- Brooks Running
- Electrolux Group
- Flexport
- Green Worldwide Shipping
- Levi Strauss & Co.
- lululemon
- Meta
- Mondelēz International
- Moose Toys
- New Balance
- Nike
- Patagonia
- Philips
- Pledge
- Reckitt
- REI Co-Op
- Schneider Electric
- Sport-Thieme
- Tchibo
