The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) has been named a 2026 Finalist for The Earthshot Prize in the Revive Our Oceans category for pioneering a collaborative buyers’ alliance. By aggregating corporate demand and pooling risks across 50 major cargo owners, ZEMBA is accelerating the commercial transition to zero-emission shipping. The alliance’s multi-year procurement model is driving down the green premium on clean fuels and targeting over 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent reductions.
Washington, D.C. | September 18, 2026 – The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) has been officially announced as a 2026 Finalist for The Earthshot Prize, the world’s most prestigious environmental award, in the Revive Our Oceans category.
Founded by Prince William in 2020, The Earthshot Prize celebrates global leadership dedicated to solving humanity’s most pressing environmental challenges. ZEMBA is being recognized for its pioneering buyers’ alliance model, which unites the world’s largest cargo owners to overcome the commercial hurdles of maritime decarbonization and accelerate the transition to zero-emission shipping.
Overcoming the Commercial Barriers of Maritime Decarbonization
International shipping underpins the global economy, moving over 80% of world trade and connecting markets across every continent. However, the sector is also responsible for approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, comparable to the footprint of major industrial nations. Without rapid intervention, shipping emissions are projected to surge alongside growing global trade, exacerbating air pollution and ocean acidification.
While green technologies exist, scaling them has faced a major roadblock: a lack of long-term demand. Shipping companies have historically hesitated to invest in zero-emission vessels and fuel supply chains without guaranteed buyers.
ZEMBA was established to bridge this gap by aggregating demand. By pooling costs and risks across its members, the alliance drives down the “green premium” on zero-emission fuels, helping the industry cross a crucial tipping point toward net-zero maritime transport.
The Power of Collective Procurement
At the core of ZEMBA’s success is its collaborative procurement model. Although low-carbon and e-fuels made from renewable energy are critical, they currently cost two to five times more than conventional fossil fuels.
- Shared Risk & Scale: Through multi-year binding purchasing commitments via competitive procurement, ZEMBA allows climate-leading brands, including smaller companies—to decarbonize significant shares of their freight activity by leveraging shared economies of scale.
- Proven Impact: Across its first two tenders, ZEMBA’s participating contracts are expected to support at least 200,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions reductions between 2026 and 2031, with a third tender targeted for 2027.
Co-founded in 2023 by the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program alongside Amazon, Patagonia, and Tchibo, ZEMBA has grown into an alliance of 50 climate-leading cargo owners, featuring global giants like IKEA, Nike, Poly Medicure Ltd., and Sanofi. Following its incubation, ZEMBA is now an initiative of the Center for Green Market Activation (GMA).
Leadership Perspectives
Prince William, President and Founder of The Earthshot Prize, shared his enthusiasm for this year’s cohort:
“Every year, our Finalists give me renewed optimism. They show us that, even as the environmental challenges remain urgent, extraordinary people around the world are already proving that progress is possible. Seeing solutions work gives us all confidence to act… I’m proud to welcome these 15 Finalists to the Earthshot Prize community and look forward to celebrating their stories in Mumbai this November.”
Ingrid Irigoyen, Founder and Managing Director of ZEMBA, highlighted the importance of cross-industry collaboration:
“Shipping touches every industry on Earth… Decarbonising global shipping will require action and effort across the value chain. ZEMBA was created because while the technology to decarbonise shipping exists, the market to deploy it at scale and with confidence did not. Being recognised as an Earthshot Prize Finalist is an important endorsement of that collaborative approach and of what can be achieved when leaders come together.”
The Path to the Earthshot Awards in Mumbai
ZEMBA was selected from nearly 7,000 nominations across 169 countries. As a 2026 Finalist, ZEMBA will benefit from tailored support provided by The Earthshot Prize and its global network to scale its procurement model, forge new industry partnerships, and raise international awareness.
ZEMBA and the other 2026 Finalists will be evaluated by The Earthshot Prize Council, chaired by Prince William, with five global Winners set to be announced at the 2026 Awards Ceremony in Mumbai, India, this November.
About The Earthshot Prize
Founded by Prince William in 2020, initially incubated within The Royal Foundation before becoming an independent organization, The Earthshot Prize is the world’s most prestigious and impactful environmental award. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot, the Prize aims to mobilize a decade of action to repair the planet by identifying, backing, and scaling groundbreaking environmental leadership. It focuses on five core “Earthshots”: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate.
More than just an award, The Earthshot Prize works alongside a powerful Global Alliance of founding philanthropic partners, non-profit organizations, and influential global companies to champion cutting-edge solutions and discover 50 winners over a 10-year span.
About ZEMBA
The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) is a first-of-its-kind buyers group within the maritime sector, aiming to accelerate the commercial deployment of clean energy-powered shipping, enable economies of scale, and help cargo owners maximize their positive impact beyond what any individual freight buyer could accomplish alone.
In September 2026, following three years of incubation at the Aspen Institute, ZEMBA became a program of the Center for Green Market Activation (GMA). GMA is a US-based, globally focused nonprofit that catalyzes and scales the uptake of low-carbon goods and services within hard-to-abate industries, including aviation, maritime, trucking, cement, concrete, and chemicals. As part of GMA, ZEMBA continues to advance its mission while benefiting from shared expertise and infrastructure across GMA’s growing portfolio of market activation programs.
ZEMBA’s 50 current members encourage additional companies to join them in sending a robust and growing demand signal for scalable, sustainable shipping through ZEMBA’s competitive tenders.
Source: ZEMBA