How to clean up the world's dirtiest industry | Joojin Kim

TED Talks Daily

Climate strategist Joojint Kim explains why decarbonizing the maritime shipping industry is a critical lever in the global fight against cli

Key takeaways

• If maritime shipping were a country, it would be the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.
• Shipping emissions are driven by three fronts: cargo (LNG and oil), fuel (heavy oils and methane), and steel production.
• South Korea is a strategic leverage point because it dominates global shipbuilding, steel production, and maritime finance.
• Solutions for Our Climate has previously successfully worked to end coal financing by East Asian giants.
• The 'Navigate to Clean' initiative aims to transform shipping from a conduit of dirty trade into a driver of clean trade.

Main topics

• Maritime shipping emissions
• Decarbonizing global supply chains
• Financial leverage in climate strategy

Notable quotes

If shipping was a country, it would be... the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.

Conclusion

The episode demonstrates that targeted, strategic interventions in con

Transcript preview

Speaker 4 (0:02) You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. When you picture the fight against climate change, do cargo ships come to mind? Perhaps not. But climate strategist Joojin Kim says decarbonizing shipping, the way the world moves its cargo, may be one of the single most powerful things we can do for the climate. If Speaker 1 (0:27) shipping was a country, it would be... the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. Speaker 4 (0:33) In this talk, Jujin, who leads an organization called Solutions for Our Climate, explains why shipping is such a climate problem on three fronts. The fossil fuels these ships carry, the dirty fuel they burn, and even the coal-made steel they're built from. It all adds up to an enormous source of emissions, largely out of sight. Speaker 1 (0:53) Shipping is not a side issue in the climate crisis. It is one of the... Biggest hit and levers in the entire climate fight. Speaker 4 (1:00) He says the whole system converges in one place, East Asia and South Korea especially, where the ships, the steel, and the financing behind them are concentrated. Squeeze that choke point, Jujin argues, and you could unlock a faster energy transition across the entire globe. His team has done it before with coal, and now they're coming for shipping. Stick around after the talk to hear from Ted's Hasiba Haque on what she saw when she visited Jujun's team in Seoul and why his approach to leadership left such a mark on her. That's coming up right after a short break. Speaker 3 (1:43) Support comes from WISE, the smart way to manage the currencies you need around the world. Your life is global. Your money should be too. Some providers promise no fees on overseas transfers. Don't be fooled. Extra costs often hide in bloated exchange rates. Choose WISE. You can send, spend and receive money in over 40 currencies. Count on the exchange rates that you'd usually see on Google. That's how millions save billions on hidden fees. Be smart. Get WISE. Visit wise.com. T's and C's apply. Speaker 6 (2:13) What does it mean to feel powerful at work? And why does it matter that you actually feel power? I Speaker 5 (2:20) just think we really miss the boat when we don't understand that power is a responsibility. Yeah. Speaker 6 (2:26) And Speaker 5 (2:26) that it depends on your relationships with other people. You can maintain the upper hand through fear and force for a time. But that runs Speaker 6 (2:35) out. I'm not the academic on the call, so I'm just going to summarize it in the language of the people. I think that was perfect. That was organizational psychologist and author Deborah Grunfeld, who joined me on my podcast Fixable as part of a special series we're running on unlocking your power at work. I'm Anne Morris, CEO and leadership coach. My co-host, Harvard Business School professor Francis Fry and I. are so excited to share this series with you featuring conversations with expert guests like award-winning journalist Kara Swisher and Haley Sachs, also known as Mrs. Dow Jones. If you ever feel powerless in your workplace or need guidance on what to do with the power you do have in your role, tune into Fixable wherever you listen. Speaker 4 (3:26) And now, our TED Talk of the day. Speaker 1 (3:29) For those of us who are worried about climate change, it's no doubt challenging times. It feels like the end of