A number of the world’s largest shipping companies have climate goals that go much further than the goals of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), which has been criticized for dragging its feet.

Six of the world’s ten largest container carriers aim to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, while two companies – Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd – expect to achieve this by 2040 and 2045.

This is far more ambitious than the industry-wide target set by the IMO member states five years ago.

The goal is to reduce emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2008, when industrial pollution was at its peak.

The two shipping companies in the top 10 that do not go beyond the IMO target are the Chinese state-owned shipping company Cosco and Taiwanese Yang Ming.

The former is aiming for zero by 2060, while Yang Ming has not yet communicated a target.

The overview is made by the maritime consultancy Drewry and is published at the same time as the IMO’s member states hold their biannual environmental meeting at their headquarters in central London.

It is the hope of several shipping companies, NGOs and countries that a new climate target of zero emissions by 2050 can be successfully adopted.

Led by France, a number of countries are pushing for a tax on CO₂ emissions from ships.

The IMO meeting runs until Friday, but may be extended over the weekend if more time is needed to negotiate.