Navigating Zero - Global Trade’s Powerful Wave of Change

Technology plays a critical role in the green transition. In the past, the complexity of the shipping industry – including the diversity of the global fleet, infrastructure constraints, and the economic impact of ‘going green’ – has prevented mass adoption of technological innovation. However, a recent wave of accelerated technological advancements are helping the industry take short term action to reduce emissions.

Today, the industry knows the optimal speed, route, and fuel consumption for vessels sailing in the dynamic conditions of the vast sea. This has allowed for a transformative shift, uniting the maritime community in a collaborative push towards embracing digitalisation and efficiency. 

In this episode, Søren Meyer, CEO of ZeroNorth, sits down with Lora Jakobsen, Chief Purpose Activist at ZeroNorth, to discuss the technology that is shaping the future of the green transition and why he thinks the change movement is critical to accelerate the maritime industry. Søren has over 30 years of expertise in shipping. Before ZeroNorth, he held leadership roles at Mærsk Tankers, including Vice President, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer. He also previously served in multiple roles at O.W. Bunker & Trading including Vice President and Global Sales Director. 

In 2020, Søren became the CEO of ZeroNorth, growing the company from 5 employees to a global organisation with offices in 12 countries, serving over 200 customers and over 500 employees. In 2022, Søren was named the #1 technology leader of the year by Lloyd’s List.

In this conversation, Søren delves into why the trend of technological acceleration will probably not slow down, and how optimising operations across the global trade value chain will enhance commercial performance and, more importantly, reduce immediate emissions today. Søren also explains why transparency is the key to moving the green transition forward even faster. Lastly, Lora and Søren explore the integral role of data and AI to deliver better solutions and empower customers to make more informed decisions.

The world is in 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 gases. A future where global trade reaches zero emissions is possible. But how do we get there? In this podcast, we're sitting down with thought leaders to explore the inner workings of global trade, its massive impact on our society, and the obstacles it faces while navigating its way to zero.

About the Søren Meyer: LinkedIn Profile
About ZeroNorth: Website
About Lora Jakobsen: LinkedIn Profile
Subscribe to the Navigating Zero Newsletter

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/