International Law-Making: Actors in Shipping and Climate Change (InterAct)
InterAct is a research project that studies the actors involved in international-law making processes concerning the climate change impact of shipping. InterAct will contribute to new academic insights into the theory of actors in international law and law-making, while providing an understanding and a way forward to address maritime transport climate-related impacts. Specifically, InterAct focuses on market-based measures and the energy transition for international maritime transport, and the regulation of shipping in the Artic.
If they could be accounted as a country, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from international maritime transport would not only be one of the top ten world largest emitters, but the fastest in growth, since the sector’s emissions are forecasted to increase between 50% and 250% by 2050 (Smith, S.; O’Keeffe et al. 2014). Moreover, the contribution of shipping to climate change will intensify, as routes in the Arctic become available. In spite of this, and while all the other sectors are reducing their emissions, shipping remains largely unregulated, being the last sector of the economy to contribute to climate change mitigation targets in line with the Paris Agreement. In understanding this anomaly, the literature has looked into different aspects and dynamics of the regulation of shipping (Oberthür 2003, Martinez Romera 2016, Martinez Romera 2017), where a key component has lingered unexplored, namely, the role of different actors in international climate related law-making for the sector. InterAct aims to fill this gap.
InterAct’s main objective will be addressed through the project as a whole, although informed by two sub-projects, which address two convergent objectives:
- Understanding the role of actors in law-making processes regarding market-based measures and technology and energy transition for international maritime transport. (Sub-project 1)
- Understanding the role of actors in the regulation of shipping induced climate change in the Arctic (Sub-project 2)
Compilation of InterAct-related activities
Publications:
Dominioni, G., & Martinez Romera, B., The 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy: Considerations of Equity. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law (2025)
PhD Defense, A Stella Ebbersmeyer, Regulating Black Carbon Emissions from Arctic Shipping - The Role of Non-State Actors in International Law-Making (16 December 2024)
Viktor Weber, ‘The economic element of the IMO’s basket of mid-term measures and the actors of the shipping industry’ 30 Journal of International Maritime Law 28, 2024
Stella Ebbersmeyer, Did you know that a lack of Arctic shipping regulation has detrimental environmental effects?, 2024
Viktor Weber, ‘The actors of green ship finance: all hands on deck and some more’ (2023) 29(3) Journal of International Maritime Law 152-164, 2023
Alessandro Monti and Stella Ebbersmeyer, ‘Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB56): Review’, IUCN WCEL Climate Change Law Network Blog, July 2022.
Presentations:
- Stella Ebbersmeyer atDIIS Seminar: Maritime security in the Arctic (22 October 2024). Title: ‘A legal perspective on tensions in the Arctic’
- Beatriz Romera, Viktor Weber and Ana Stella Ebbersmeyer, ‘Putting a Price on Maritime Transport GHG Emissions: Ensuring a Just Transition’ at the 25th Global Conference on Environmental Taxation, 18 September 2024, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Viktor Weber and Stella Ebbersmeyer at the 25th Global Conference on Environmental Taxation (GCET) (18 September 2024). Title: Putting a Price on Maritime Transport GHG Emissions: Ensuring a Just Transition
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at the InterAct Conference – International Law-Making: Actors in Shipping and Climate Change, UCPH (27-28 May 2024). Title: ‘Non-state Actors and International Law-making: The Case of Arctic Shipping and the Regulation of Black Carbon Emissions’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at the Arctic Circle Berlin Forum (8 May 2024). Title: ‘Climate Governance of Arctic Cruise Ship Tourism’.
- Viktor Weber at the Remaking Global Trade and Shipping: Toward a Sustainable Transport Future workshop, University of Copenhagen with Yale University and University College London (15 May 2023). Title: ‘Border carbon adjustment in shipping’.
- Viktor Weber at International Academic Conference on Shipping, Sustainability & Solutions, Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg, Germany (2-3 March 2023). Title: ‘The Role of the Finance Sector in the Decarbonization of the Shipping Industry’.
- Viktor Weber, Faculty seminar at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen, Norway (21 February 2023). Title: ‘Decarbonizing maritime shipping – the role of actors and market-based measure’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at the NeOGov Second Workshop: Climate Change and the Arctic Ocean: Towards a New Research Agenda, University of Lapland (21 August 2023). Title: ‘Black Carbon and Shipping: The Arctic Council Expert Group on BC and Methane’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at the Remaking Global Trade and Shipping: Toward a Sustainable Transport Future workshop, University of Copenhagen with Yale University and University College London (15 May 2023). Title: ‘Arctic Shipping and Trade Law’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at Kobe University 24th PCRC International Law Seminar. Title: The regulation of black carbon emissions from Arctic shipping: the role of actors (13 March 2023)/li>
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at ISAR-7: Title: The regulation of black carbon emissions from Arctic shipping: the role of actors (9 March 2023)
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at Early-Career & Ocean Law Seminar, Reykjavík University (14 October 2022). Title: ‘The regulation of black carbon emissions in Arctic shipping: the role of actors’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at the CArGo Conference on Transitions in Arctic Governance, UCPH (16 September 2022). Title: ‘The regulation of black carbon emissions in Arctic shipping: the role of actors’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer and Viktor Weber at the Scandinavian Institute for Maritime Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo (29 Aug 2022). Title: “‘International Law-making: Actors in Shipping and Climate Change’. Presentation of the InterAct project”.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer and Viktor Weber at the First NeOGov Workshop on Climate Change and Ocean Governance: Exploring International Ocean Regimes through the Lens of Climate Change, UCPH (22-23 Aug 2022). Viktor Weber’s presentation: The Role of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Geoengineering.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at the IV TRAMEREN International Conference on Enhancing Climate Action beyond the State, UCPH (2 June 2022). Title: ‘The regulation of black carbon emissions in Arctic shipping: the role of non-state actors’.
- Viktor Weber at the IV TRAMEREN International Conference on Enhancing Climate Action beyond the State, UCPH (2 June 2022). Title: Multi-unilateralism as the basis for the expansion of the European Union’s Emission Trading System
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at APECS International Online Conference (18 May 2022). Title: ‘Arctic shipping and the regulation of black carbon’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at Arctic Frontiers Science Conference, Tromsø (8 May 2022). Title: ‘The Regulation of Shipping Induced Climate Change in the Arctic: the Role of Actors’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at InterAct Kick-off Workshop, UCPH (4 Mar 2022). Title: ‘Black carbon and Arctic shipping: regulatory framework’.
- Viktor Weber at InterAct Kick-off Workshop, UCPH (4 Mar 2022). Title: The Role of Actors in Reducing Shipping Emissions
- Stella Ebbersmeyer and Viktor Weber at CArGo Workshop, Kokkedal (17-19 Feb 2022).
- Stella Ebbersmeyer and Viktor Weber at the CArGo Kick-off Workshop (26 Nov 2021). Title: ‘Arctic Shipping’.
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at PhD Roundtable at ULapland, Rovaniemi (18 Nov 2021).
- Stella Ebbersmeyer at The IV Trameren Conference, 5th session Title: The regulation of black carbon emissions in Arctic shipping: the role of non-state actors
- Viktor Weber at The IV Trameren Conference, 5th session Title: Multi-unilateralism: Emission Trading in the European Union
Participation:
- Stella Ebbersmeyer: PPR11, International Maritime Organization, London, UK (19-23 February 2024)
- Viktor Weber, ‘Maritime Decarbonisation, Europe: Conference, Awards & Exhibition 2023’ conference, Amsterdam (26-27 September 2023)
- Viktor Weber, ‘ShippingLab’ conference, DTU Copenhagen (30 August 2023)
- Viktor Weber, ‘The Nordic Maritime Transport and Energy Research Programme’ conference, World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden (3-4 May 2023)
- Stella Ebbersmeyer, ‘The Nordic Maritime Transport and Energy Research Programme’ conference, World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden (3 May 2023)
- Stella Ebbersmeyer and Viktor Weber: MEPC80, International Maritime Organization, London, UK (3-7 July 2023).
- Stella Ebbersmeyer: Participant at 2023 Arctic Circle Japan Forum, Tokyo (4-6 March 2023)
- Stella Ebbersmeyer: Participant at 2022 Arctic Circle Assembly, Reykjavík (13-16 October)
- Stella Ebbersmeyer: Attendance as observer at the UNFCCC SB56 Bonn Climate Change Conference, Bonn, Germany (7-9 June 2022).
- Stella Ebbersmeyer: Participant at the Arctic Spirit Conference, Rovaniemi (16-17 Nov 2021).
Podcast episodes – The Climate Show:
- Episode 22. Stella Ebbersmeyer and Prof. Suzanne Lalonde: Climate Change and Arctic Shipping: A Canadian Perspective
- Episode 21. Viktor Weber and Harilaos Psaraftis: The Role of Market-Based Measures in the Decarbonization of International Shipping
- Episode 19. Zhen Sun and Stella Ebbersmeyer: Arctic Shipping and Climate Change
- Episode 17. Michael Tsimplis and Viktor Weber: Private Actors in the Decarbonization of Shipping
- Episode 6. Tristan Smith: Maritime transport GHG emissions
InterAct Activities:
- CIL-CLIMA Conference on the Decarbonization of Shipping and Alternative Fuels (12 - 13 February 2025)
- Sargasso Sea GEF Project Shipping Industry Consultation – “Consultation on Vessel Activity in the Sargasso Sea: possible impacts, voluntary measures and industry participation" (14 February 2025)
- Sargasso Sea GEF Project Shipping Industry Consultation 2 - Identified Sargasso Sea impacts and voluntary measures including decarbonization in and around the Sargasso Sea (3 December 2024)
- InterAct Final Conference: International Law-Making: Actors in Shipping and Climate Change (27-28 May 2024)
- Remaking the Global Trade and Shipping: Toward a Sustainable Transport Future Workshop
15-16 May 2023 - InterAct Kick-off Workshop
Friday, 4 March 2022 09:00 – 16:00 - TRAMEREN II Conference - Panel on shipping
1-2 June 2022 - Remaking global Trade and Shipping Workshop
14-16 May, 2023
Research Stays:
- Viktor Weber, Faculty of Law, University of Bergen, Norway (13-22 February 2023)
- Stella Ebbersmeyer and Viktor Weber: Scandinavian Institute for Maritime Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo, Denmark (August – September 2022)
- Stella Ebbersmeyer: Polar Cooperation Research Centre (PCRC), Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University, Japan (February – March 2023
- Stella Ebbersmeyer: Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Finland (August – September 2023)
- Stella Ebbersmeyer and Viktor Weber: Energy Institute, University College London, UK (July 2023)
- Senior Lecturer in Culture and Climate Christiaan De Beukelaer, University of Melbourne - Visiting: August – September 2022
- Assistant Professor Goran Dominioni, Dublin City University - Visiting: June 2022
- Professor Daniel C. Esty, Yale University, School of Law - Visiting: Spring 2022
- Professor Daniel Bodansky, Arizona State University - Visiting: Fall 2023
Researchers
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Ebbersmeyer, Ana Stella | Postdoc |
|
| Martinez Romera, Beatriz | Head of Centre, Associate Professor |
|
| Weber, Viktor | Postdoc |
|
Funding
International Law-Making: Actors in Shipping and Climate Change (InterAct) has received funding from Carlsberg Foundation.
Project: International Law-Making: Actors in Shipping and Climate Change (InterAct)
(Grant number: CF20-0600)
Period: 01-09-2021 –31-03-2025
Contact
PI Associate Professor
Beatriz Martinez Romera
South Campus, Building 6A.4.09
DK 2300 Copenhagen S
Phone: +45 35 32 31 80
beatriz.martinez.romera@jur.ku.dk