First Movers Coalition – FAQs

Who runs the FMC?

The FMC is a public-private partnership launched by the US State Department, through Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and the World Economic Forum. It is supported by the US Department of Commerce.

Ongoing management is via a Steering Board which includes FMC Partner representatives (Government, Implementation, Design).The FMC collaborates closely with climate experts and mission-aligned organizations to accelerate and scale collective impact.

Could I join the FMC?

If you are an ambitious company that is willing to demonstrate climate leadership by pledging to purchase transport and materials products/services that are low to near-zero, the FMC may be a good fit for your company. The FMC focuses specifically on demand commitments, so the FMC will be most relevant to you if your company makes purchases in one of our hard-to-decarbonize sectors. In addition, all ambitious companies may be interested in making our carbon removal commitment.

What are companies committing to purchase?

In each sector, FMC members have pledged to purchase products and services that are near-zero, as defined in the FMC commitment. FMC pledges are agnostic to the specific technologies used to produce those products/services, as long as the technologies satisfy the thresholds set by the FMC. For example, companies in the aviation sector commit to buying sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) that reduce lifecycle GHG emissions by at least 85%. These fuels could be produced through a variety of pathways. In the shipping sector, companies commit to purchasing shipping services from suppliers who are operating vessels using one of many emerging near-zero fuels. In this way, FMC Members purchasing decisions are driving the commercialization of the new technologies necessary to produce low and near-zero products and services.

For more detail, please see the ‘sectors’ section.

Will we have to commit to only using near-zero technologies by 2030?

No, companies are only expected to ensure that a small proportion of their procurement satisfies the FMC sector commitments, with the exact proportion depending upon the sector. This allows companies to pay a manageable green premium, while still ensuring the necessary demand signal for breakthrough technologies.

What does ‘near-zero’ mean?

The latest climate science is clear: Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) is still possible. But to avoid the worst climate impacts, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will need to drop by half by 2030 and reach net-zero around mid-century.

The focus of the First Movers Coalition is to deploy the deepest decarbonization technologies that have been successfully piloted. This is done by leveraging corporate procurement to accelerate deployment of deep decarbonization technologies. Therefore, the framework is designed to make the FMC commitment impactful with a near-zero threshold.

Will the FMC purchase technologies on our behalf?

No, the FMC will not procure technologies on behalf of companies. Companies are responsible for their own procurement decisions. However, the FMC will focus on addressing key roadblocks towards securing supply and expects to enlist support from key financing stakeholders along with other relevant value chain members to assist companies in meeting their commitments.

How are FMC pledges enforced?

FMC commitments are voluntary rather than binding commitments. The FMC plans to report on progress towards commitments through a State of the FMC published report.

What if there isn’t sufficient supply by 2030?

We are confident that the demand signal sent by FMC members will play a crucial role in bolstering efforts to scale up the supply of products and services relying on breakthrough technologies. However, members will not be expected to meet their commitments if supply is insufficient by 2030.

How much are companies expected to pay to meet their commitments?

By signing on to FMC’s market-moving commitments, members accept that they will incur a green premium on a small proportion of their overall procurement. As a result of supply scale up catalyzed in part by FMC commitments, this green premium should fall over time.The FMC will develop acceptable green premium ranges in each sector based on industry analysis, and members will be accepted to honor their commitments as long as green premiums fall within this range by 2030.

How are the purchasing commitments determined?

The First Movers Coalition purchasing commitments focus on committing a small portion of consumer demand to products that meet an ambitious net-zero threshold. The threshold is an ambitious target that can only be achieved with all levers pulled towards the high-end of its potential. This is developed in consultation with stakeholders in the ecosystem (suppliers, innovators, customers, government partners) to ensure the commitment drives the deployment of technologies required to reach a 1.5°C pathway, whilst realistic enough for business to make the commitment given the uncertainties inherent to early stage technologies.

What will the FMC do between now and 2030?

The FMC will undertake a range of activities to help companies achieve their FMC targets and strengthen their sustainability efforts.The FMC creates tailored ‘workplans’ for each sector, acknowledging priorities may differ across industries. Depending on member needs, FMC activities focus on helping ensure technology availability, enabling commitment execution, or providing infrastructure to track progress on FMC commitments.

Please see more details in our ‘About Us’ section.

What are the prospects for making heavy industry completely free of carbon emissions?

Please reference the First Movers Coalition impact story for the latest progress.

Can I join the FMC as a supplier?

As a demand-side coalition, the FMC is currently only expecting members who expect to purchase breakthrough technologies as part of their supply chain. However, the FMC expects to engage suppliers and other members across the supply ecosystem in various ways. Leading suppliers will be invited to join supply workshops with FMC members to showcase their advances in breakthrough technologies and advise FMC members on pathways to secure supply.

What is the role of governments within the FMC?

Government partners have several roles within the FMC. They publicly endorse FMC as a flagship public-private initiative to decarbonize global high-emitting sectors and invite their country’s companies to join. In addition, they engage in dialogue with like-minded countries and industry leaders on the public policy levers that can accelerate clean technology innovation and help FMC companies meet their pledges. Lastly, some governments may choose to take seat on the FMC Advisory Board and provide core support to the FMC Secretariat.