Green Shipping Contracts

Book excerpt: This book applies a contract-governance theory to the implementation of decarbonisation objectives in the international maritime sector. In doing so, it provides an overview of how the network of contractual relationships that characterise commercial shipping can become effective sites of collaboration between shipping actors to improve upon energy efficiency and CO2 reduction. To achieve this aim, the book investigates and develops a set of contractual tools that can enable private actors to strengthen their commitments to net-zero targets (whether state-mandated or voluntary) and develop cooperative norms to guide decision-making and contractual interpretation. These mechanisms include contractual clauses and drafting considerations which can secure a desired outcome for contractual performance, thereby managing climate risks and providing adequate remedy where such risks materialise. In a transnational sector such as shipping, where contracts can exert greater influence on corporate decarbonisation efforts than international regulation, the book challenges the traditional limitations of contract law and calls for a deeper integration of green principles into private relationships.