Navigating Zero - Global Trade’s Powerful Wave of Change

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May 2026

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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/

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31 recent

May 19, 2026Episode 933 min

Season 3, Episode 8: Leading Shipping into the Agentic Future, with ZeroNorth CEO Søren Andersen

What does it take to lead a technology company through one of the most complex moments in global trade? And what does the agentic future of shipping actually look like in practice?In this final episode of Season 3, host Lora Jakobsen sits down with Søren Andersen, the newly appointed CEO of ZeroNorth. Søren brings nearly 30 years of maritime experience to the conversation - from his early days at Maersk, where he helped pioneer some of the industry's first large-scale fuel efficiency programmes, to leading maritime technology business StormGeo and Unimed Maritime Solutions. Now at the helm of ZeroNorth, he shares his vision for where the industry is heading, and what his strategy is to seize the opportunity that ai provides and lift the industry and ZeroNorth the next level. Our conversation explores how AI is fundamentally changing the nature of work, and the way the shipping industry operates. We dig into the commercial and environmental case for smarter operations; asking why, as emissions data becomes financial data, the two can get increasingly inseparable. And we look ahead to a world where AI agents support us to negotiate deals, reoptimise route vessels, and capture value in real time. All with the human still in the loop.This is a conversation about intelligence: how to build it into the foundations of an industry, and why the companies that have already done that are the ones best placed to lead what comes next. Get ready to move from executor to architect, as we wrap this season together. About Søren Andersen: LinkedInAbout ZeroNorth: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero Newsletter

January 28, 2026Episode 829 min

Seasonal Encore: Pragmatism in Action, with Mikael Skov, CEO of Hafnia

This week, we’re discussing how pragmatism drives reinvention, and what strategies can help shipping companies navigate change without losing sight of carbon goals.This episode is a fan favourite from Season 2 and it's a brilliant conversation with Mikael Skov, CEO of Hafnia, one of the world’s leading product tanker companies.With almost 40 years in shipping, including 25 years at TORM before founding Hafnia in 2013, Mikael brings a wealth of experience on the energy transition. He dives into the reality of tanker markets, complex ecosystems that can be shaped by geopolitical shifts and economic pressures. In this environment, how can companies meet today’s needs while staying on track to cut emissions?Lora and Mikael explore this question, discussing how shipping companies can make measurable progress on emissions today, using technology, digital tools, and collaboration with customers, while keeping an eye on long-term goals. They also cover how innovation by market leaders can create momentum and opportunities for the wider industry.If you’re interested in seeing how pragmatism and resilience are shaping the future of shipping, this episode pairs perfectly with our Season 3 opener with Julian Bray from TradeWinds, where we look at how the industry is navigating turbulence and adapting to react zero.Global trade powers our world but contributes roughly 3% of greenhouse gas emissions. A zero-emissions future is possible -- and this conversation shows how practical steps today can set the stage for a transition at scale.About Mikael Skov: LinkedInListen to Julian Bray on Industry Practices and Resilience in the Age of UncertaintyAbout ZeroNorth: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero Newsletter

January 19, 2026Episode 735 min

Season 3, Episode 7: From Risk to Reward - Financing the Journey to Zero, with BCG’s Vinay Shandal

How do we make reaching zero in shipping and other so-called “hard-to-abate” industries a sought-after business opportunity? Could capital and strategy accelerate the journey to zero?In this episode, host Lora Jakobsen speaks with Vinay Shandal, head of BCG’s Sustainable Investing practice and host of the podcast Pitching Progress. Vinay has spent nearly two decades helping investors deploy capital into the energy transition, and he shares how financial innovation and strategic investment can reshape the ecosystem, to turn ambitious climate goals into even more profitable opportunities.We explore why some industries are harder to transform, how new investment platforms and financial instruments could unlock billions for low-carbon technologies, and why building new architecture is essential for investor confidence. Vinay also reflects on the potential of decision-making tools, including AI, to support progress when used thoughtfully.Tune into this conversation to embrace change in the new year: moving away from risk aversion, and towards confidence in a new financial path that is already within reach. About Vinay Shandal: LinkedInAbout BCG’s Sustainable Investing Practice: WebsiteAbout Pitching Progress: PodcastAbout ZeroNorth: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero Newsletter

December 17, 2025Episode 630 min

Season 3, Episode 6: Could Nuclear Power Rewrite the Future of Shipping? With Mikal Bøe, from Core Power

The diesel engine has shaped the modern world, powering global fleets, connecting cultures, and enabling the trade of almost everything we rely on. But it has also locked the maritime industry into a system that produces carbon emissions.In this episode, Lora Jakobsen sits down with Mikal Boe, CEO of CorePower, whose bold vision challenges us to rethink the very heart of maritime propulsion. Mikal argues that the future of shipping lies in a new generation of safe, advanced nuclear technology. But his proposal goes far beyond engineering. He talks about rebuilding the commercial architecture of the industry: transforming insurance, incentivising investors, aligning global legislation, and creating a system where waste is not just contained, but reused.This conversation asks us to consider the potential of atomic power as a way to embrace the deep systemic changes that Mikal says are needed to reach zero. It opens a world of possibility while keeping commercial realities and political values in balance.If you’re curious about maritime innovation, and the new ways in which we can use existing power technologies to reinvent our fleets, you won’t want to miss this one. About Mikal Boe: LinkedInAbout CorePower: WebsiteAbout ZeroNorth: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero Newsletter

December 3, 2025Episode 528 min

Season 3, Episode 5: New Paths for Leadership in Trade, with GMF's Johannah Christensen

Just days after the IMO’s decision to postpone the net-zero framework, the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) held its annual summit in Antwerp, Belgium. An opportunity to bring industry leaders back in the same room to confront uncertainty and chart a path forward at a decisive time.Johannah Christensen, CEO at GMF, was at the heart of the action. Just a few days after the summit, she sat down with Lora on Navigating Zero to unpack this pivotal moment in shipping.Together they explore how collaboration can counteract frustrations, and what coordinated action looks like at present. They also discuss how to juggle long - and short-term thinking, and why practical frameworks like green corridors are helping turn ambition into implementation. Johannah offers a candid look at the signals that matter right now, and the work that still lies ahead to align incentives, build trust and scale real solutions across the industry at large.From systemic barriers to bright spots of progress, this conversation with Johannah is filled with insights, and resonates with the optimism we need to keep momentum alive.About Johannah Christensen: LinkedInAbout the Global Maritime Forum: WebsiteAbout ZeroNorth: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero Newsletter

November 12, 2025Episode 427 min

Season 3, Episode 4: What now? After the IMO, the critical role of fuel suppliers in the energy transition with Maria Skipper Schwenn from Bunker Holding.

When the International Maritime Organization (IMO) postponed adoption of its long-awaited Net Zero Framework this October, the decision shook up power dynamics and strategies across the industry. In this episode, we unpack what happened inside and outside the negotiation room, and what it means for shipping’s path to zero emissions. Beyond regulatory frameworks, this conversation highlights the pivotal role of the bunker sector in making low-carbon fuels viable and accelerating the shipping industry's energy transition.Joining Lora in conversation is Maria Skipper Schwenn, Director of Public Affairs at Bunker Holding. Maria has a breadth of experience on both sides of the table: in political and commercial associations, in Brussels, for Danish Shipping, and at Bunker Holding, the world’s largest bunker supplier. In today’s episode, she will share her experience from inside the Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting and the geopolitical pressures that upended the vote. She explains how procedural tactics reshaped the approval process, and why the industry will now have to rely on a patchwork of regional measures to accelerate the decarbonisation of shipping. Beyond the IMO, we also discuss how the bunker sector plays a critical role in providing low-carbon fuels, investments, and innovation to drive the energy transition.The marine market is still new for many alternative fuel producers, so suppliers like Bunker Holding are playing a critical part to build new partnerships and deliver biofuels safely and reliably to ports worldwide. Maria will unpack this work, and share her vision for what progress looks like in the industry now: driving new technical collaboration, supporting first movers investing in green fuels, and cultivating a generational shift in leadership to push for greater transparency and impact. Because no matter the voting outcome, today and tomorrow, the work continues.About Maria Skipper Schwenn: LinkedInAbout Bunker Holding: WebsiteAbout the SASHA Coalition: WebsiteAbout ZeroNorth: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero Newsletter

October 20, 2025Episode 328 min

Season 3, Episode 3: The Argument for Regulatory Ambition, with Aoife O’Leary, from Opportunity Green

In this episode, host Lora Jakobsen sits down with Aoife O’Leary, the CEO and founder of Opportunity Green, about why regulation could be the key to achieving zero. Drawing on her extensive background in law, and her work bringing together policy and technical experts with economists, and lawyers, Aoife makes a case for ambition in regulation, arguing that the industry’s decarbonisation challenge isn’t just technological or financial; it’s systemic.Dive into this daring conversation to find out how a spirit of global cooperation can make transformation possible. This episode explores a spectrum of perspectives on the regulatory question. From the science-based view that business can reach better certainty with bold commitment, to a realistic outlook on the industry, for which global frameworks are a complex task. Together, we explore where revenues from carbon pricing could help the most; why support for fuels like hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia are crucial; and whether it’s possible to rethink what and how we ship in a more circular global economy. Aoife also shares how existing laws like MARPOL can be reinterpreted to accelerate change without waiting for new treaties.About Aoife O’Leary: LinkedInAbout Opportunity Green: WebsiteAbout the SASHA Coalition: WebsiteAbout ZeroNorth: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero Newsletter

October 1, 2025Episode 229 min

Season 3, Episode 2: Future-proofing Maritime - Today’s Leadership is Tomorrow’s Competitive Advantage with Alexander Saverys

In this episode, host Lora Jakobsen speaks with Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.TECH, about what it means to truly future-proof shipping.Alexander Saverys is a leader who isn’t afraid to take risks. With seven generations of family history in maritime, he has transformed the Compagnie Martime Belge from a traditional shipowner into one of the most forward-thinking players in the industry, betting early on hydrogen and ammonia as fuels of the future.And it paid off. Today, CMB.TECH is building its own clean fuel supply chain in Namibia, and the cultural changes at play inside the organisation are just as critical as technological ones.From major acquisitions like Golden Ocean to pioneering new vessel designs, Alexander’s strategy balances decarbonisation with diversification. In this episode, Lora and Alexander unpack this vision, discuss how regulation and technology are reshaping the cost of low-carbon shipping, and reflect on how flexibility can help us shift towards renewables, through retrofitting, hybrid engines, and customer choice.Future-proofing shipping isn’t just about cleaner fuels, it’s about rethinking the whole system: the energy we produce, the technology we adopt, the culture we foster, and the partnerships we build. This episode is a reminder that a new propulsion revolution is just around the corner. Join this conversation to find out how investing now will determine who thrives in the decades ahead.About Alexander Saverys: LinkedInAbout CMB.TECH: WebsiteAbout Zero North: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero NewsletterSources:Euronav’s Annual Report 2023 - QuarterlyticsAbout Cleanergy Solutions Namibia - CMB.TECHHow does adding 91 fossil fuel-burning bulkers fit into CMB.TECH’s green shipping strategy? - TradeWinds

September 15, 2025Episode 134 min

Season 3, Episode 1: Industry Practices & Resilience in the Age of Uncertainty, with Julian Bray from TradeWinds

After laying the groundwork in its first two seasons, Navigating Zero returns for Season 3, with a bold new focus: rebuilding the maritime ecosystem from within. We’ve identified the origins of the zero carbon movement, and the engines of change; now it’s time to make new connections, to transform our industry. In this season opener, host Lora Jakobsen, Chief Sustainability Officer at ZeroNorth, speaks with Julian Bray, Editor-in-Chief of Tradewinds and Publisher at Dagens Næringsliv. With decades of experience shaping the conversation around global shipping, Julian offers a unique vantage point on the maritime industry's ongoing evolution. In our conversation today, we offer a picture of the current maritime landscape, with its innovations and challenges, and define what we need to navigate what Julian calls the “age of uncertainty.” This episode explores what's fundamentally new in future-proofing strategies compared to five years ago. We unpack how the shipping industry is responding to turbulence: from geopolitical instability and supply chain disruptions to the urgent push for emission cuts; and Julian explains how resilience has taken on new meaning for the industry, shifting from simply weathering market cycles to adapting to regulatory, technological, and financial complexity. He also highlights the importance of making a clear business case for sustainability, and the critical role cargo owners will play in accelerating real change. Along the way, we also discuss the impact of eco zones and the so-called “dark fleet” on global trade routes, and what the next 15 years of maritime trade could look like as retrofitting, automation, and cultural change take hold. Tune into this wide-ranging and pragmatic conversation to find out why uncertainty can be an opportunity.About Julian Bray: LinkedInAbout TradeWinds: WebsiteAbout Zero North: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero NewsletterSources:Nor Shipping 2025: International Shipping at the Crossroads of Geopolitics and Green Transition - TO BHMA International EditionRussia’s ‘shadow fleet’ will prove resilient - Oxford Analytica

December 16, 2024Episode 1139 min

Season 2, Episode 10: Banking's Role in Maritime Sustainability with Michael Parker and Paul Taylor

Banks play a pivotal role in advancing the green transition within the shipping industry. But how can these two critical sectors collaborate more effectively and foster greater transparency?In this episode, Lora Jakobsen, Chief Sustainability Officer at ZeroNorth, engages in a compelling discussion with Michael Parker, Global Head of Shipping at Citigroup, and Paul Taylor, Global Head of Maritime Industries at Société Générale. Both Michael and Paul serve as key leaders within the Poseidon Principles’ steering group, with Michael acting as Chair and Paul as Vice Chair.Together, they explore how strategic dialogue and collaboration can drive meaningful change, the role of expanded regulations in enabling green infrastructure, and the ways banking and shipping can jointly contribute to the industry's decarbonization goals.Michael and Paul highlight how transparency initiatives like the Poseidon Principles are reshaping industry dynamics, enabling strategic dialogue between banks and shipowners, and fostering accountability to meet global climate targets. The discussion also explores challenges and opportunities in green financing, from barriers like limited EU taxonomy-compliant vessels to the potential of sustainability-linked loans to drive change. Insights into alternative fuels such as green methanol and ammonia, and technologies like carbon capture, reveal both progress and complexity. Through initiatives like green market makers and forums such as COP and the Global Maritime Forum, the guests stress that collaboration and innovative funding mechanisms are vital to bridging gaps and accelerating the maritime industry’s sustainable transformation. 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 responsible for roughly 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions. 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 Michael Parker: BioAbout Paul Taylor: LinkedInAbout the Poseidon Principles: WebsiteAbout the Poseidon Principles Annual Disclosure Report: WebsiteAbout ZeroNorth: WebsiteAbout Lora Jakobsen: LinkedInSubscribe to the Navigating Zero NewsletterSources:The Definitive Study on Lifecycle Analysis for LNG as a Marine Fuel - SEA-LNGDo you know what methane slip is? - SAFETY4SEAManaging methane slip on ME-GI installations - MAN Energy SolutionsAnnual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors: 2024 Edition - Getting To Zero Coalition