First Movers Coalition: Status Report

The First Movers Coalition (FMC), co-launched by the World Economic Forum and the US government, has mobilized 99 corporate members to generate an annual demand signal of approximately $16 billion for near-zero emission technologies by 2030. The coalition focuses on seven sectors: aviation, shipping, trucking, aluminium, cement/concrete, steel, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR), aiming to reduce annual emissions by an estimated 31 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The report details sector-specific commitments, such as the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and zero-emission fuels (ZEF) for shipping, and highlights the role of the First Suppliers Hub in connecting buyers with innovative technology providers. It also examines the necessity of blended finance and supportive government policies to overcome the 'valley of death' in early-stage technology deployment, particularly in emerging economies like Brazil, India, and South Africa.

• The First Movers Coalition has established a significant private sector demand signal, with 99 corporate members making over 125 commitments across seven sectors. By 2030, these commitments are expected to represent an annual demand of approximately $16 billion for near-zero technologies, resulting in an estimated 31 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in annual emissions reductions.
• In the aviation sector, 28 companies have committed to replacing at least 5% of conventional jet fuel demand with sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) that reduce life-cycle emissions by at least 85% by 2030. Despite this, current SAF production represents less than 1% of total jet fuel demand.
• The shipping sector has 17 corporate members committing to use zero-emission fuels (ZEF)—defined as those reducing well-to-wake GHG emissions by 80% or more—for at least 5% of deep-sea shipping by 2030. However, over 95% of ZEF production projects remain in the pre-final investment decision (FID) phase.
• For trucking, 16 companies have committed to ensuring that 100% of medium-duty and at least 30% of heavy-duty new truck purchases are zero-emission by 2030, focusing on battery-electric (BEV) and hydrogen fuel-cell (FCEV) technologies.
• The cement and concrete sector, the newest FMC addition, has 7 members committing to ensure at least 10% of purchases are near-zero emissions by 2030. Near-zero cement is defined as emitting less than 184 kg CO2e per tonne, compared to a US average of 922 kg.
• Eleven companies have joined the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) commitment to contract for at least 50,000 tonnes or $25 million of durable and scalable removal by 2030. Microsoft currently accounts for approximately 64% of all engineered CDR purchases made to date.
• FMC Finance identifies a 'valley of death' in the pilot project and early deployment phase (Technology Readiness Level 4-7), where public/philanthropic capital is exhausted but commercial equity and debt are not yet available. Overcoming this requires concessional capital and blended finance.
• The First Suppliers Hub, launched in January 2024, serves as a global repository to connect buyers with suppliers of innovative technologies. It currently features over 150 projects from more than 100 registered suppliers.
• Government engagement has expanded from the US to 13 partner countries, representing about 50% of global GDP. The coalition identifies three high-priority policy levers: demand and supply aggregation, enabling finance ecosystems, and enabling infrastructure ecosystems.

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). First Movers Coalition: Status Report. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_First_Movers_Coalition_Status_Report_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. First Movers Coalition: Status Report. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_First_Movers_Coalition_Status_Report_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=First Movers Coalition: Status Report |date=July 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_First_Movers_Coalition_Status_Report_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024first, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{First Movers Coalition: Status Report}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_First_Movers_Coalition_Status_Report_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }