Eight days after his presidency, Joe Biden has already signed a number of initiatives that will have a profound impact on the shipping industry. Yesterday, the 46th President of the United States paid special attention to climate change. The executive order, signed by Biden, calls for «strengthening climate ambitions» with a focus on shipping as well as aviation.
The order says John Kerry, special adviser to the president on climate issues, will now promote «innovative approaches, including international initiatives» to address climate challenges, including in the shipping industry. With Congress and Senate in the hands of Democrats, discussions on moving shipping towards a European emissions scheme, which began last year, are expected to accelerate. Other important announcements made yesterday included the decision to freeze new oil and gas leases on state land. On his first day in office, Biden also signed the Paris Climate Agreement. “This is a government-wide approach that puts climate change at the center of our domestic, national security and foreign policy,” the president said yesterday.
