Shipping company NORDEN, software provider Microsoft, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) have completed the maritime sector’s first verified emissions reduction transaction processed through the RSB Book & Claim registry.
The landmark pilot marks the first instance of an ocean carrier issuing and delivering certified emissions reductions via the RSB registry framework. The Book & Claim methodology allows cargo owners and logistics providers to purchase verified carbon reductions linked to sustainable marine fuels without requiring physical bunkering of the alternative fuel onto their specific vessel voyages.
To facilitate the transaction, NORDEN became the first maritime operator to earn RSB Book & Claim trader certification, following work with RSB to adapt its established aviation chain-of-custody framework for ocean freight. Microsoft participated as the initial buyer, utilizing the registry to address its Scope 3 transport emissions.
Anne Jensen, Chief Operating Officer at NORDEN, stated: “For many companies, some of the most difficult emissions to address are those embedded deep within global supply chains, where they often have little visibility or direct influence over how goods are transported. This transaction demonstrates how Book & Claim can help bridge that gap. By enabling companies to invest in verified emissions reductions from maritime transport, regardless of where the fuel is used or where they sit in the value chain, we can help accelerate decarbonisation across industries.”
Bella Horstmann, Senior Manager of Market Development at Microsoft, noted: “Decarbonising supply chains requires solutions that are both credible and scalable. This collaboration with NORDEN and RSB shows how Book & Claim can help accelerate progress in sectors where change is otherwise complex and demonstrates that companies don’t need to wait to start reducing their shipping emissions in a verified and meaningful way.”
Max Eichelbaum, Director of Digitisation and Book & Claim at RSB, added: “Developing market-enabling tools for decarbonisation across hard-to-abate sectors is a priority for RSB and extending the RSB Book & Claim framework to maritime transport is a direct response to that goal. This collaboration with NORDEN and Microsoft marks a significant milestone in making that a reality. NORDEN’s certification is exactly the kind of collaboration that will open this solution to the wider shipping industry.”
Following the completion of the pilot, RSB confirmed it will update its formal Procedure for Book and Claim Chain of Custody to support commercial adoption across the wider shipping industry.
