THE SEA Cargo Charter (SCC) has announced Australian mining and metals company South32 as its newest signatory.

The SCC is a framework for assessing the climate alignment of ship chartering activities globally, consistent with the ambitions of the UN’s International Maritime Organization to reach net-zero emissions from international shipping by or around 2050.

The SCC has honed their focus primarily on the dry bulk and tanker trades, including those carrying such commodities as grains and agricultural products, chemicals, energy, and metals.

The SCC currently boasts the signatures of around 38 companies, including NYK Bulkship, Maersk Tankers, Shell, and now South32.

Sea Cargo Charter chair Rasmus Bach Nielsen said that with the inclusion of South32, the SCC now represents over 20% of bulk goods transported by sea annually, marking “a significant milestone” in its growth and influence.

“This demonstrates our collective commitment to promoting sustainable shipping practices across the industry,” Mr Bach Nielsen said.

Maritime freight is a significant part of South32’s supply chain, and the company has long term goals to first half its operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, and achieve net-zero by 2050.

Headquartered in Perth, South32 is a major player in the Australian mining industry, producing commodities including bauxite, aluminium, copper, silver, and metallurgical coal, amongst others, from operations globally.

Matthew Gillespie, vice president of South32 said joining the SCC was another step in the company’s decarbonization journey.

“By aligning to the Sea Cargo Charter’s global framework, we can better track our decarbonisation progress against the International Maritime Organization’s decarbonisation trajectory and our net-zero goal” Mr Gillespie said.

SCC vice chair Eman Abdalla said, “The inclusion of South32 is another testament to the Sea Cargo Charter’s goal of a collaborative approach and ambition to enhance transparency in shipping emissions, fostering an environment where decarbonisation can thrive”.

South32 was recently in headlines when its Groote Eylandt wharf was damaged during a category-three cyclone, when a bulk carrier allided with wharf infrastructure.