Bødskov: A sad day for the green transition

There was not sufficient support from the member states in the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) when they were to vote today on finally adopting global climate regulation for international shipping. The agreement was postponed by one year.

In these uncertain times, where rules-based international cooperation is under pressure, it has been difficult to reach agreement on adopting the global climate regulation for shipping.

The negotiations have been shaped by agendas unrelated to maritime affairs and a complicated geopolitical situation. Therefore, the IMO member states have not succeeded today in reaching a final agreement.

Danish Minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Morten Bødskov says: “A sad day for the green transition. The climate agreement for global shipping has been postponed by one year. A global agreement is needed as soon as possible. Now we will continue the fight for an ambitious green transition of shipping. I would like to thank the industry for its strong support.”

The positive thing is that more and more countries are supporting global climate regulation for shipping, and many companies still wish to contribute to greener shipping. This provides a strong platform to keep driving the work forward.

Negotiations on the global climate regulation have been ongoing since IMO’s climate strategy was agreed in 2023. Although there is not yet a global regulation, Denmark, together with the EU and other like-minded countries, will continue the dialogue in the IMO to secure progress towards global regulation in the near future, so that the shipping sector can deliver on the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

This is also crucial for European shipping companies and maritime businesses, who need clear and predictable conditions for the green transition.