Navigating Zero - Global Trade’s Powerful Wave of Change

What does it mean to lead boldly? It can involve making unpopular decisions to chart a new way forward. In our industry, it can translate to putting planet hand in hand with profit or finding innovative ways to put sustainability at the heart of strategy. It can also mean being able to see where today’s trends might lead us tomorrow.

In this episode, ZeroNorth’s Chief Purpose Activist Lora Jakobsen sits down with Lord John Browne, Chairman of BeyondNetZero and former BP CEO, to discuss the necessity of leading boldly. Under his leadership between 1995 and 2007, BP made some of the most dramatic changes in the organisation's history and oversaw a change in direction that was radical, even by today’s standards. In his landmark 1997 speech at Stanford University, he set BP's intentions to become a global leader in the way they addressed climate change.

In this conversation, Lord Browne talks us through why he decided to change BP’s direction during his tenure and why bold leaders should expect pushback when implementing radical changes. Lora and Lord Browne also discuss why incentivising change is so important and how @ BeyondNetZero, a climate growth equity venture from General Atlantic that he helped found in 2021 and currently serves as Chairman for, is helping to finance the green transition.

Since his time at BP, Lord Browne has been involved with a large number of climate change initiatives, including BeyondNetZero, an organisation that focuses on identifying entrepreneurs who are addressing climate-focused problems and helping them scale, and currently has over $70 billion under advisement. He also serves as the independent co-chairman of the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology, Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, and Chairman of the Francis Crick Institute.
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Navigating Zero is presented by Lora Jakobsen, Chief Purpose Activist at ZeroNorth.  ZeroNorth is a service platform helping the global shipping industry achieve optimal performance and reduce its carbon emissions, by blending advanced data-driven technology with human expertise. It was founded to lead the sustainable transition of global trade.

About Danny Lange: LinkedIn Profile
About ZeroNorth: Website
About Lora Jakobsen: LinkedIn Profile
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What is Navigating Zero - Global Trade’s Powerful Wave of Change?

There’s no denying we are facing a climate crisis, and all industries must do their part to reach zero emissions. Maritime trade is critical to today’s society but is also responsible for roughly 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions. A future where global trade reaches zero carbon emissions is possible, but how do we actually get there?

Navigating Zero - Global Trade’s Powerful Wave of Change is a podcast from ZeroNorth that explores exactly that.

In each episode, Lora Jakobsen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Zero North, speaks with global thought leaders inside and outside the shipping industry to build a greener future together. They’ll unpack everything from the economics of decarbonisation in maritime shipping and global trade, to green energy innovations, from sustainable shipping logistics to digitalisation, data sharing and regulation in the industry.

Previous guests include leaders building the conversation around a greener future, such as Danny Lang (ex-Vice President of Business Intelligence at Google), Robert Mærsk Uggla (Chairman of the board directors of Maersk, CEO of A.P. Møller Holding) and Rasmus Nordqvist of the EU Parliament.

After two successful seasons, Navigating Zero will be returning for Season 3, to spotlight the industry’s most innovative trailblazers – the architects of change who are rebuilding the maritime trade ecosystem from the inside out. Featuring voices like Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.Tech, Johannah Christensen from GMF, and Julian Bray, former Editor-in-Chief of TradeWinds, as we explore what transformation really looks like in practice.

About Lora Jakobsen:
Lora Jakobsen is ZeroNorth’s Chief Sustainability Officer and one of the organisation’s founding members. She specialises in technology, growth and sustainability strategy, and is on a mission to accelerate the maritime shift towards sustainability in global trade. Lora brings clarity and challenge to every conversation, grounding the show in a commitment to finding new and better ways.

About ZeroNorth:
ZeroNorth is a technology leader committed to accelerating the energy transition in global shipping. Founded in 2020, we have grown from being a team of six to 600 employees across 10 global locations. We are at the forefront of the decarbonisation movement, leveraging technology and data as enablers to drive immediate reductions in emissions — critical steps towards achieving long-term sustainability goals in the maritime industry.

Learn more at: https://zeronorth.com/