Maersk has announced its decision to quit the ICS and move to the World Shipping Council (WSC), citing as a reason ICS’s lack of green ambition.
According to Maersk, the ICS is no longer sufficiently ambitious enough in its green goals and has decided to focus its attention on the liner lobby group, the World Shipping Council (WSC).
The news came after Maersk reviews its membership status with all the trade bodies it is signed up to once a year to ensure they lobby in alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
One outcome of the 2022 process, Maersk states on its website, is its decision to support the strengthening of the WSC and dedicate internal resources to it.
Maersk said, “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. This includes assessing how their approach and outreach reflect our views and values. One outcome of the 2022 process is our decision to support the strengthening of the WSC and dedicate internal resources hereto. Our choice to step down from the ICS Board should also be seen in this context.”
The ICS failed last month to persuade International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states to adopt ICS’s $5bn decarbonisation R&D fund proposal and at its subsequent annual general meeting, formulated a new clean energy marine hubs strategy to coordinate and join decarbonisation efforts from ports, shipping companies, and energy firms.