Generic Green Proofs Use Case (Applied to the Maritime Industry): Katalist
Every purchase you’ve made until now — whether it’s a pair of shoes, a mobile phone, a laptop, or even exotic fruits — was most likely transported by sea. Globally, the maritime industry is responsible for approximately 2% of overall carbon emissions while serving as a critical component of nearly all industrial companies’ supply chains and transportation systems.
Why Katalist?
Decarbonizing the maritime industry is a challenging task due to the long lifespan of ships (around 35 years), which limits the speed of fleet replacement. This is why the focus has shifted to the use of low-emission fuels, enabled by a Chain of Custody model called “Book and Claim.”
The system allows for the decoupling of the physical low-emission fuel from its associated low-emission attribute, which can be traded separately. This approach makes low-emission fuels more accessible.
This model serves as an interim mechanism, buying time until global infrastructure is fully in place to support widespread physical use of low-emission fuels without needing to decouple the sustainability attributes of maritime fuel from its actual usage.
How?
To build trust among participants, the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping and RMI have co-developed and continuously refined a robust methodology that all actors can rely on.
The role of Energy Web Foundation was to provide the technology platform in a way that shortened implementation timelines, enabled hypothesis testing, and allowed for necessary adjustments in a relatively short time compared to building everything from scratch.
Thanks to our Generic Green Proofs approach, we successfully developed two proof-of-concepts, gathering valuable insights that enabled the team to refine the solution into a full production platform — ready to launch in November at COP29 (link to the press release).
What might have taken years to build, we accomplished in months, delivering critical insights that shaped the final platform.
What Companies Can Do on the Platform
- Issuance
The creation of certificates on Katalist follows a well-thought-out methodology. This ensures that the most relevant data is collected from ships and voyages, along with the appropriate documentation to attest to fuel attributes and usage. - Transfer
Participants on the platform can transfer certificates based on predetermined rules and restrictions. - Retirements and Export (Claims)
The ultimate goal for companies using the platform is to claim emission savings from alternative fuel usage in their sustainability reports. - Public Retirement Table
Depending on the type of company, industry actors can view varying levels of information about actual fuel usage. Once the final actor (Cargo Owner) has claimed the certificate, the data becomes publicly available through the “Public Retirement Table.”
Who?
The platform is designed for key maritime industry actors:
- Shipping Companies: Operators or owners of ships are responsible for purchasing fuel and uploading relevant data to the platform.
- Freight Forwarders: Intermediaries in the maritime transportation cycle and vital parts of the supply chain.
- Cargo Owners: Responsible for the contents of shipments.
What Will 2025 Bring?
By the end of the year, we anticipate onboarding several companies to the platform. By early 2025, the first certificates will be issued using Katalist. Additional features will be developed, with updates shared as plans progress.
Conclusion
Energy Web contributes to decarbonization efforts by serving as a climate-tech partner, significantly accelerating the journey from ideas to proof-of-concepts and minimum viable products.
Our expertise lies in creating generic frameworks that enable faster deployments, adaptable to decarbonization plans that drive impactful climate change solutions.
If you’re interested in bringing your ideas to life faster and more efficiently using proven methodologies and connections with relevant industry actors, let’s discuss how Green Proofs can be applied to your use case. contact us!
