Here’s How Yara International is Calling on Maritime Stakeholders to Fight the Ocean Crisis

The oceans are in a bad way and will have a profound impact on almost every sector of society.

The seas which surround our land are dynamic and incredible ecosystems which support jobs and communities, provide food as well as transportation and clean energy, awe-inspiring nature, and so much more besides.

According to the WWF, the oceans have absorbed 90% of the heat and 33% of all the carbon dioxide the human species has ever produced. However, the more carbon dioxide the oceans absorb the more acidic its PH becomes. Combined with unsustainable fishing practices, staggering levels of pollution – especially plastics, coastal development, and rising global temperatures, and we find our oceans heading for a serious crisis.

Naturally, industries which rely on the oceans include any which deal with logistics and international shipping. Brands operating in these spaces need to take urgent action to support those organisations trying to reduce human impact on our precious oceans.

Yara International

One such brand is Norwegian chemical company, Yara International. The Oslo, Norway based supplier of nitrogen fertilizer, nitrates, ammonia, urea, and other nitrogen-based chemicals for the agriculture industry has been trying to rally its fellow maritime stakeholders to the cause of addressing the ocean crisis.

Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) which was held in the dying moments of 2021, Yara International launched an initiative which called on the shipping industry to answer the ‘Save Our Planet – SOP’ distress signal and move rapidly on decarbonisation.

A month prior to that, Yara International, along with 149 other maritime companies and organisations signed a Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonisation which urged governments around the world to seize upon the opportunities presented by COP26 and deliver real policy change which would assist with this transition and help the industry work towards making zero emission shipping the default method by 2030.

“We stand firmly behind this call to action and urge the whole industry to follow and move rapidly on decarbonisation,” said Yara Marine Technologies CEO, Dr. Thomas Koniordos. “The time to act is now. Our planet is in distress. Our industry has the skillset to create new solutions and the drive to see them through. Now, we at Yara Marine Technologies reinforce our commitment and stand ready to help the industry achieve the necessary green transition. If we all work together towards this common goal, we can cut emissions and strengthen the industry at the same time.”

Save Our Planet – SOP

To help make its point, Yara International is resurrecting the ancient maritime communication technology of morse code. Designed to reflect the manner in which sailors of old would signal distress with SOS, Yara is now deploying it to issue its own distress call of Save our Planet – SOP.

“Save Our Planet – SOP – is a new distress signal made to highlight our shared urgency, to encourage the maritime industry and all its’ stakeholders to face the climate challenge without further delay, and to inspire us all to embrace this opportunity for change, collaboration, and innovation,” says Yara International on the SOP landing page.

Through the initiative, Yara is asking visitors to its web portal to create their own versions of the distress call and share them via social media with the hashtags #SOP and #SaveOurPlanet.

It’s hoped that this campaign will draw attention to the need for urgent and innovative action to its peers in the oceanic shipping spaces, as well as the government officials with the power to facilitate real change. Individual action means little when governments and large corporations fail to act, so driving this message home is of the utmost importance when it comes to fighting the ocean crisis.

“International shipping ties the world together,” continues Yara International. “Today, our industry carries over 80% of global trade, and trade volume is expected to triple by 2050. According to the European Environment Agency, shipping is one of the cleanest modes of transport, but as trade grows, shipping emissions continue to increase, exceeding one billion tons of CO2 each year. We need to reduce this footprint as fast as possible. That is why we are launching SOP, and by doing so, we are reinforcing our commitment to provide technologies that enable a greener maritime industry.”

Final Thoughts

The ocean crisis needs addressing with the utmost rapidity, of that there is little doubt. However, now we know the results of COP26 fell short of what environmental campaigners had hoped for, it seems governments are not willing to take the necessary action.

However, it is encouraging that some corporations are taking these issues more seriously and are willing to speak out and work towards a greener logistics business.

You can hear Yara International’s Senior Vice President Supply Chain Operations, Robin Cattermole speak at LogiChem 2022, being held in March at De Doelen ICC Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.