US climate envoy Kerry backs IMO

By Michael McGrady, Maritime Direct Americas & Pacific Correspondent

WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State John Kerry, President Joe Biden’s official climate envoy, announced that the United States government is officially backing the International Maritime Organization’s decarbonization efforts.

This announcement comes days before the Biden administration was preparing a climate leaders summit.

“I want to announce that in support of the global effort to keep us in reach of 1.5 degrees Celsius and in support of global efforts to achieve net-zero by no later than 2050, the United States is committing to work with countries in the IMO to adopt the goal of achieving net-zero emissions from international shipping by no later than 2050,” Kerry said at the Ocean Conservancy.

According to The Maritime Executive, the effort is that other countries will also join in the new wave of global climate initiatives from their own efforts to accelerate decarbonization commitments and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the shipping industry.