Fast fashion giant Inditex will replace fossil fuels with green, low-emission fuels for its inbound routes with Maersk after signing up for the shipping company’s new Eco Delivery Ocean programme.
The Spanish company, which owns brands such as Zara, Pull&Bear and Massimo Dutti, will pay a fixed cost for the programme, which is expected to deliver a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of more than 80%.
Abel Lopez, head of import, export and transport for Inditex, said: “Through this joint initiative with Maersk, we are making significant strides in reducing emissions associated with our sea freight.
“This project aligns with our goal to reach net zero emissions in 2040 and contributes to scale alternative fuels with a significant reduced carbon footprint.”
Inditex’s move to join the sustainability programme comes as both the shipping industry and its customers seek to achieve net zero goals and reduce the environmental impact of their products across their life cycle.
Emilio de la Cruz, managing director of Maersk’s South West Europe area, said: “We are proud to have Inditex among our first customers who assign 100% of their Maersk ocean inbound cargo to our ECO Delivery product, which ensures a significant reduction of GHG emissions thanks to green fuels.”
Though new to its product portfolio, Maersk has also seen success with its Eco delivery programme from other large companies, such as Amazon, one of the largest retailers in the world, which signed an agreement to join the scheme between 2023 and 2024.
The Danish company has also been expanding its low to zero-emissions products outside of its shipping operations with the use of bio-fuels on rail transport links, something Inditex is also collaborating with Maersk on in Spain.
Eco-delivery options in maritime have become more available in recent years as companies start moving more of their network to more sustainably fuelled vessels, including Maersk's own world-first methanol-powered feeder container ship which conducted its maiden voyage this year.
