On Monday, we had the pleasure of bringing together innovators, policymakers, industry leaders, experts, and investors for a roundtable on decarbonizing the  maritime industry. Big thanks to Maersk Growth for hosting us—and to everyone who joined.

The maritime sector faces a massive opportunity—and a tough challenge. With promising new regulation, the industry could become a global leader in net-zero pathways. But it’s still early days, and the financing gap remains significant. Here are some key takeaways from our discussion:

⚓️ The IMO Net Zero Framework introduces economic and technical measures to reduce emissions and promote zero-emission fuels and technologies. It has two levels: a base target and a stricter direct compliance target. Ships that don’t meet the base target pay $380 per ton of CO₂ or must buy extra credits. Ships missing the stricter target pay an additional $100 per ton. Ships that do better than both can earn credits they can use, save, or sell—creating strong incentives to reduce emissions and invest in cleaner ships.

💰 The investment needed to decarbonize shipping is estimated at $1.5 trillion—yet the IMO Net Zero Fund is only expected to collect around $11–12 billion per year. This is a strong start, but not nearly enough. Can the finance sector help bridge the gap? How do we further de-risk investments? A big opportunity also lies in how we use revenues from the EU ETS. Denmark, for example, expects to receive 12 billion DKK from shipping’s inclusion. These funds could be earmarked for projects such as help scale e-fuel production. The key challenge though—both for policymakers and the finance sector—is to ensure these limited funds are used in ways that truly drive emission reductions, support innovation, and accelerate the path to net zero.

📊 The market isn’t ready yet. Risks aren’t shared across the value chain, and the maritime industry often can’t shoulder big investments. To bridge the “valley of death” for emerging technologies, we need supportive policies and financing tools. Many technologies are technically ready but not yet market-competitive. This is where policymakers can step in. Promising paths include the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan and exploring double-sided auction models.

🌍 Europe—and especially the Nordics—have a great chance to lead the shipping transition. Denmark is moving fast with PtX and green fuels, while Norway shows momentum in electrification. Across the region, Nordic companies are bringing forward smart solutions for shipping decarbonization.

The maritime transition is underway, and we’re seeing encouraging signs—policy is moving, the IMO Framework offers new tools, and the cost curve is starting to shift. But markets, infrastructure, and industry adoption still have a long way to go. Now is the time to put in place mechanisms that de-risk offtake, reward early movers, and unlock private capital to scale zero-emission solutions. 🤝 🚀