Shipping group Maersk quits board of lobby group ICS over climate concerns

ICSGlobal

08/07/2022 10:41

COPENHAGEN, July 8 (Reuters) - A.P. Moller-Maersk
 MAERSKb.CO  has withdrawn its board member from industry
organisation International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), partly
over the trade association's stance on climate change, according
to the company's website. 
    Maersk, one of the world's largest shipping groups, has been
part of ICS's board for around a decade, but Maersk executive
and board member Henriette Hallberg Thygesen has stepped down
after an annual revision of trade association memberships.
    "We review our membership status once a year to ensure that
the trade associations in which we are members lobby in
alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement as well as other
key issues," Maersk said on its website. 
    The Paris agreement is a legally binding treaty between the
world's countries, agreed in 2015, which aims to limit global
warming by curbing global greenhouse gas emissions. 
    "Our choice to step down from the ICS Board should also be
seen in this context," it added, without specifying what it
disagreed with ICS's stance.
    A spokesperson told Reuters the decision had been announced
at an ICS annual general meeting on June 22
    Maersk also said it would focus its efforts on its
membership of the World Shipping Council (WSC), a trade group
for container shippers. 
    ICS, which has members from over 40 countries and represents
over 80% of the world's commercial fleet, promotes "best
practices throughout the shipping industry," its website says.
    ICS declined to comment.  
    Maersk is not directly a member of ICS, but it is a member
of trade group Danish Shipping, which is a member of ICS. 
    Maersk aims to have a carbon-neutral fleet by 2030 in order
to meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2050. 
    The shipping industry carries around 80% of global trade and
accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions. 

 (Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard; editing by David Evans)
 ((Nikolaj.Skydsgaard@thomsonreuters.com;))