Amid a global push to cut emissions, shipping is looking to the winds. Originally published on Climate and Capital Media and reprinted with permission. Ever since he was little, growing up sailing along the coast of Brittany, Guillaume Le Grand was awed by the power of the wind. Now 39, Le Grand has harnessed that power in an emerging trans-Atlantic shipping company that uses wind power instead of fossil fuels. Launched in 2009, TransOceanic Wind Transport (TOWT) is sailing along five nautical routes, including regular trans-Atlantic crossings, to transport goods ranging from wine to cocoa beans. As founder and president, Le Grand said the company’s wind-powered, no-carbon vessels cater to high-end clients that seek to be climate positive. By using smart tracking systems, the TOWT allows customers to track their shipments and know how many carbon miles they are saving by avoiding traditional fossil fuel-burning ships. "With pressure to act on climate change growing, I believe shipping is on the eve of a revolution," he said. "The polluting nature of large-scale commercial shipping is something that eventually we just can’t do anymore." As of 2019, the value of global shipping was an estimated $14 trillion with more than 11 billion tons of goods transported by ship each year. The vast majority of this shipping is powered by diesel fuel, and it is estimated that the shipping industry contributes 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Historically, Le Grand said, maritime companies have focused primarily on making deliveries as cheap as possible, regardless of the cost to the environment. Without any regulations governing ocean pollution, the industry suffered few consequences. But amid a global push to cut emissions, the industry is beginning to change. "We find that our clients think their products are worth being transported in a better way," Le Grand said. While recent efforts by large shipping... |