Maersk suggests IMO to propose ‘drop dead date’ for maritime combustion engine production

A.P. Moller-Maersk CEO, Søren Skou, on Saturday (11 September) posted a social media statement regarding the European Commission’s proposal to end the production of combustion engine cars in 2035; and for the International Maritime Organization to do the same for fossil fuelled ships.

“Combined, a global carbon tax and an end date for fossil fuelled ships would be a strong signal to the shipping ecosystem – including yards and fuel producers – about which way the wind is blowing. We need to accelerate efforts to meet emission reduction targets,” he stated.

He added that a global “drop dead date” would address future newbuild  vessels, complementing the impact existing ships from the carbon tax.

With a phase-in ending at 450 USD/t fuel, this tax would address the price gap between the fossil fuels of today and the carbon neutral fuels of tomorrow.

“As the price gap narrows, the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index in its coming phases could be the instrument to make the end date for fossil fuelled ships a global reality,” he ends.