Developing a u2018Future-Proofedu2019 Sustainability Strategy

As the worldu2019s largest container shipping company, Maersk Line transports more than 15 percent of all shipped containers. In an industry that transports more than a third of the value of global tradeu2014and accounts for about 4 percent of the worldu2019s carbon emissionsu2014Maersk Line has a tremendous economic, social, and environmental footprint. Facing pressure to reduce the companyu2019s environmental and social impacts, Maersk Line leaders viewed this challenge as an opportunity to offer customers a value proposition on sustainability that could not be matched by competitors. Company leaders asked BSR to help develop a u201cfuture-proofedu201d sustainability strategy.

Internal Review and Current State

Through interviews with executive management, regional leaders, and sustainability professionals, BSR gathered details about Maersk Lineu2019s corporate objectives, strategy, business model, and existing sustainability efforts. This work clarified company strengths and weaknesses and defined key drivers for the companyu2019s sustainability performance. We discovered that Maersk Line lacked a comprehensive approach to working on and communicating about sustainability, which made it difficult for company managers to establish a business case for new programs.nn

External Review and Future State

Next, we built a set of future trends such as u201chypertransparency,u201d regulated carbon, and resource constraints that business leaders would need to consider in strategic planning for the next seven to 10 years. We then tested these trends with employees and management teams to ensure a global perspective and identify specific regional challenges. Together with consultations with the companyu2019s major customers and key industry stakeholders.

Build Vision and Strategy

Moovit helped Maersk Line define a strong sustainability vision supported by objectives such as reducing carbon-dioxide emissions by 25 percent by 2020 and striving for zero sulfur-dioxide emissions. This strategy will raise the bar for sustainability in the industry.