Despite tight budgets, majority of Canadians would pay extra for shipping if it helped offset greenhouse emissions

Decarbonizing the shipping industry

One alternative fuel source that is attracting a lot of attention and investment is hydrogen. As a result, Canada is now in the process of increasing its hydrogen production as part of its plan to adopt net-zero alternatives.

However, where to apply the use of hydrogen, as an alternative fuel source, is still being debated. According to the Clear Seas survey results, two-thirds (67%) of Canadians would prefer it if Canada were to use hydrogen to domestically decarbonize its own industries, including marine shipping, rather than export this alternative fuel source, abroad. Surprisingly, 17% of respondents believe Canada shouldn't invest in hydrogen, at all.

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Why marine shipping may hold the key to the use of alternative fuels in Canada

While most people conjure up the image of a car or an industrial factory when considering the impact of carbon emissions on the environment, the marine shipping industry is also a large contributor to the output of greenhouse emissions. However, avoiding or stopping the use of marine shipping doesn't appear to be an option for most businesses — and doesn't appear to be a favoured solution for most Canadians.

Turns out, almost three-quarters (73%) of Canadians consider marine shipping as “critically” or “very” important to the Canadian economy. The main areas where marine shipping helps to contribute to the Canadian economy are:

• coastal communities (74%)
• access to goods from other countries (79%)
• ability for Canada to export goods internationally (77%)

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Ways to offset your carbon emissions

For consumers interested in helping to offset their contribution to carbon emissions, but still want to tap online shopping deals, consider using companies that use electric vehicles as part of their shipping fleet. For instance, in Europe, Dynamic Parcel Distribution (DPD) began to expand its electric delivery fleet in 2020. The company's goal is to deliver parcels in 225 of Europe’s largest cities using zero-emission delivery methods by 2025. Their investment includes electric vans, as well as electric cargo bikes, and other sustainable transportation options for urban deliveries.

In North America, a few companies are also committing to zero-emission delivery options. For instance:

• Canada Post: The nation's postal service committed to reducing its carbon footprint by electrifying 50% of its delivery fleet by 2030 and using electric-only by 2040.
• Amazon: Partnering with Rivian, an EV manufacturer, Amazon announced it plans to have 100,000 electric delivery vans on the road by 2030. The company also aims to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040.
• Fed/Ex: With a goal to be carbon neutral by 2040, Fed/Ex started to transition its entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet to electric vehicles. To achieve their goal, the global shipping company put in large orders with EV manufacturers like GM’s BrightDrop to expand their EV fleet.
• DHL: With a committment to achieve zero emissions by 2050, DHL invested heavily in electric vehicles. These vehicles include EV vans, as well as DHL's proprietary StreetScooter electric vehicles as well as electric bicycles.

Bottom line

According to report authors, most Canadians believe that the economic contributions of marine shipping outweigh the environmental risks. Still, this doesn't mean Canadians are comfortable with the environmental impact of moving goods across the globe.

Speaking on the need to find alternative solutions, the report authors highlight the fact that a sustainable solution lies in a combination of new fuels and new tactics. "[Using] a combination of alternate fuels, new infrastructure and new technology will be required to get there[. And] This will require investments by both governments and businesses, and perhaps an additional cost to the consumer.”

Survey methodology

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey of 1,601 Canadians above the age of 18 between July 26 to 30, 2024. Read the full report: https://clearseas.org/research/2024-public-opinion-poll-canadians-attitudes-towards-marine-shipping/

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