AP Moller-Maersk is the lone shipping company being targeted by a newly formed association backed by 225 of the world’s largest investors that want to use their financial clout to encourage cleaner emissions from industry.

Climate Action 100+ claims its members represent a total of $26.3trn in managed assets. It was formed on the second anniversary of the 2015 Paris climate change agreement at French president Emmanuel Macron’s One Planet summit.

The association’s members include global investment power houses such as HSBC Global Asset Management, Manulife Asset Management and Australian Super.

Climate Action 100+ launched its campaign by publishing a list of the world’s largest polluters, whom it hopes to persuade to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to AP Moller-Maersk, the list includes miners Rio Tinto, Vale and BHP Billiton, as well as energy giants BP, CNOOC, Shell and Total..

Climate Action 100+ says it will “engage with the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters to improve governance on climate change”.

AP Moller-Maersk was not available for comment before TradeWinds went to press.

However, AP Moller-Maersk has a strong sustainability programme. The company claims to have reduced emissions by 42% since 2007 and is targeting an emissions reduction target of 60% per container moved by 2020.

In its 2016 Sustainability Report, it said: “AP Moller-Maersk takes responsibility for reducing emissions from our activities. CO2 efficiency is a shared priority for all our businesses.”

The company also says it supports the regulation of shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the demands made by Climate Action 100+ is that companies sign up to a task force on climate-related financial disclosures, which is intended to ensure corporate decisions are in line with the 2015 Paris agreement’s target to keep global warming to below 2C.

AP Moller-Maersk has said it supports the task force.

The company has also signed up to the United Nations' environmental protection scheme, United Nations Global Compact.

Climate Action 100+ is also calling for the companies on its list of polluters to implement a strong governance framework and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the corporate value chain.