Giant Shipper Bets Big On Ending Its Carbon Emissions. Will It Pay Off?

Maersk — the world's largest container shipping company — has an astonishing goal. By 2050, the company vows to send goods — everything from electronics to soybeans to sneakers — around the world with zero carbon emissions.

The environmental logic behind such a promise is straightforward: Shipping contributes substantially to global climate change.

But the business case is not as obvious.

The goal, announced late last year, will cost Maersk billions to develop new technologies. Meanwhile, it will be competing in a crowded, competitive market against rivals who aren't bearing that burden. And there's no guaranteed financial payoff if the engineers' work succeeds.

So why do it?

The question is not unique to Maersk, or the shipping sector. A growing number of businesses are paying serious attention to the