Maersk boss warns Europe’s green game is slipping, needs to step up

In the UK, Financial Times reports Vincent Clerc, CEO of AP Møller-Maersk, warned that Europe risks falling behind the US and China in green technology innovation due to insufficient incentives. Speaking in an interview with a Financial Times reporter, Clerc highlighted that while both Washington and Beijing have implemented substantial subsidies for companies transitioning away from polluting industries, Europe has been slow to follow suit. This regulatory inertia, he argued, creates a “first-mover disadvantage” for European pioneers in the green space.

Maersk, the world’s second-largest container shipping line, is acutely aware of these challenges as it pursues ambitious decarbonisation efforts, including investments in vessels running on green methanol. Clerc stressed that without stronger support mechanisms, Europe could lose its competitive edge, reducing the continent to a “museum” rather than a hub for innovation and talent.

As global shipping grapples with climate imperatives, Clerc urged Europe to develop a regulatory framework that aligns incentives, noting that a recently proposed “green balance mechanism” could level the playing field for renewable fuel adoption. However, Maersk remains committed to global growth, even as Europe appears to be “slowly losing out” in the race for green leadership.

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