Denmark’s maritime industry continues to drive the country’s economy. Danish Shipping (Danske Rederier), the voice of the shipping companies, is dedicated to advancing Danish shipping interests – domestically and globally.
As a trade and employers’ organisation for Denmark’s shipping industry (Denmark’s largest export trade), Danish Shipping has more than almost ninety members, mainly including shipowners and offshore shipping companies.
Half of the organisation’s members sail under the Danish flag, while the other half, comprised of associate members, operate from Denmark without ships sailing under the Danish flag.
Anne H. Steffensen, Director General of Danish Shipping spoke with Bridges and shared her insights into the industry, challenges being faced and the increasingly important relationship Denmark shares with Japan.
The Green-Shipping Challenge
“We are hitting the ground running as we work towards our goals for 2025 and have a number of key priorities for the year. We have what we consider to be a ‘generational challenge’ to make sure that shipping becomes a ‘Green Industry’ and in line with the work being done by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) – www.imo.org – 2025 is going to be a very important year for us.
Japan and Denmark are two of the greatest shipping nations in the world and by working together we expect to achieve our shared green transition goals.
Anne H. Steffensen, Director General of Danish Shipping
The IMO is taking steps towards ensuring climate neutrality for the global maritime sector by 2050. This strategy is being implemented to ensure the international shipping industry successfully undertakes a ‘Green Transition’.
This year will also see us put measures in place regarding our price mechanism and a fuel standard to address and reduce emissions from the shipping sector.
We have an important year ahead with key tasks to be completed and we will do our utmost to ensure we are on the right side of history by taking the necessary steps to make shipping a ‘greener’ industry.
Green Fuels to Power the Industry
Industry needs to drastically increase production of green fuels for the global shipping sector. The Danish shipping sector is a front-runner of the movement towards this ‘green transition’ and Danish shipowners are already owning and ordering ‘green ships’ which sail on green fuels.
The problem is the availability of these green fuels which the Danish and global maritime industries are so desperately in need of. At Danish Shipping, we are putting pressure on decision makers, policy makers and industry players to deliver the fuels the industry needs.
While Governments need to help to provide support the framework for increasing the production of green fuels, we also need to see real change in terms of regulatory frame work perspectives and incentives.
Almost all green fuels are currently coming out of China and we need other countries to step up. While we expect Europe and North America to play an increasingly important role, other regions and countries around the world are beginning to play their part.
African countries such as Egypt and several South American countries have alternative energy sources which can provide electricity and contribute to the production of hydrogen and other green fuels.
Denmark: A Maritime Superpower
While Denmark is a relatively small country, we consider ourselves to be a maritime Superpower. In order to remain a key maritime player, we need to constantly look at what factors are going impact the industry on a daily basis and address the challenges we see at a national level. Although shipping is a traditional industry, the global maritime sector is constantly evolving and we want to continue driving change.
Government initiatives like the Growth Team for the and the ‘Blue Denmark’ must drive reflect the growth of the Danish shipping and maritime cluster, all of which has positive bearing on become synonymous with the successful Danish economy.
We sincerely hope that these recommendations will bring the Danish maritime cluster and the shipping industry into a new phase of growth.
Green-related growth is vital as we cannot continue to develop the shipping and maritime industries without this green perspective. We have an obligation to lay the foundations for the next generation as they enter the maritime industry.
1867: The Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Denmark
We recognise Japan as a Maritime Superpower. If we look at the top ten maritime nations in this world, Denmark is number nine and Japan is number four and so both countries play a huge role in driving the industry forward. (Greece, China and Singapore top the list).
Importantly, we also share common values and ambitions and we want to work together to realise the shift towards a greener maritime industry. Denmark and Japan want to see trade thrive across borders, continue our dialogues related to open markets and strengthen our business connections.
We expect Denmark and Japan to stand together as defenders of free trade and actively call for reduced protectionism. Denmark and Japan have a great deal in common and we have strong historical ties.
Following the ‘Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Denmark’ in 1867, Japan and Denmark exchanged many diplomatic missions and have since enjoyed a very friendly relationship.
In terms of shipbuilding, while South Korea, China and Turkey have been developing their industries, Japan is still an important market for Denmark.
Osaka 2025 EXPO
As we look towards the EXPO in Osaka later this year, we see this an opportunity for us to build stronger relationships with our counterparts in Japan and around the world. The shipping industry is a people’s business personal industry and relies on the connections and relationships shared between people from every corner of the world.
Shipping Ours is a business in which people build relationships over time and that will continue well into the future. We very much appreciate our friends in Japan and respect the fact they we share with them a passion for the maritime industry.
Japan and Denmark are two of the greatest shipping nations in the world and by working together we expect to achieve our shared green transition goals.
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