One of Denmark’s largest law firms Gorrissen Federspiel and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping signed a Partnership Agreement as a formal recognition of their joint working and shared commitment to a long-term collaboration around the decarbonizing the global maritime industry.

Gorrissen Federspiel has actively supported and acted as a legal partner to the Center since the beginning in 2020 and the Knowledge Partnership is a further strengthening of the close relationship between the two organizations. As a Knowledge Partner Gorrissen Federspiel will contribute to the Center work with in-kind resources including extensive sparring, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities including actively connecting the Center to relevant companies, policymakers, international institutions, and philanthropic institutions.

Upon announcing the partnership, CEO Bo Cerup-Simonsen says: “Welcoming Gorrissen Federspiel as a Knowledge Partner is a natural extension of our close relationship. Decarbonizing shipping requires changing an entire business system and as a leading shipping law firm Gorrissen Federspiel know the complexity of the maritime ecosystem and the considerations and concerns that the shipping companies face in this transition. It is tremendously valuable to us to leverage this expertise knowledge in the Center work and engage with the experienced legal experts at Gorrissen Federspiel. We look very much forward to our continued and strengthened collaboration.”

Partner in Gorrissen Federspiel Søren Høgh Thomsen says: “Gorrissen Federspiel has been on board since the establishment of the Center, and we remain strongly committed to supporting its commendable mission. Our close ties to the shipping industry in general, coupled with our experience and expertise in establishing international research and development partnerships and technology collaborations, have been brought together with this agreement. Sustainability and ESG are very much about legal regulation, and the regulation in this area is complex and constantly evolving. Through our legal advice, we help create the framework for companies’ sustainable transformation, which is a major focus area for us. We look forward to continuing to assist the Center in developing technologies and collaborations for the purpose of decarbonizing the shipping industry. This is a hugely ambitious task, and we are proud to be part of it.”

Shipping’s road map to decarbonization

With 100.000 ships consuming around m300Tons fuel p.a. global shipping accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions, a share that is likely to increase as other industries tackle climate emissions in the coming decades.

Achieving the long-term target of decarbonization requires new fuel types and a systemic change within the industry. Shipping is a globally regulated industry, which provides an opportunity to secure broad-based industry adoption of new technology and fuels.

To accelerate the development of viable technologies a coordinated effort within applied research is needed across the entire supply chain. Industry leaders play a critical role in ensuring that laboratory research is successfully matured to scalable solutions matching the needs of industry. At the same time, new legislation will be required to enable the transition towards decarbonization.