Former US secretary of state John Kerry delivered a message of climate leadership during a high-profile panel at Nor-Shipping yesterday, sharing the stage with Andrew Forrest, chairman of Fortescue Metals Group, and Andreas Enger, CEO of Höegh Autoliners. The session focused on the intersection of energy policy and maritime decarbonisation, highlighting the sector’s crucial role in the global climate response.
Kerry reaffirmed that the US, despite political turbulence in recent years, remains a committed player in the global transition to renewables. “90%of new electricity in the US now comes from renewables,” he told a packed audience. He stressed that although the US formally exited the Paris Agreement under the current Donald Trump administration, “the American people stayed in.”
Using Texas—a Republican-led state—as a case in point, Kerry underscored how climate progress transcends partisan divides. “Texas is the biggest producer of wind energy in America. People are acting based on science and common sense,” he said. “We have to keep pushing forward and not get distracted by noise or foolishness.”
Kerry also issued a stern rebuke to politicians who undermine international climate accords for political gain. “This is political posturing at its lowest common denominator. It’s dangerous—for our country, for our fellow citizens, and for our standing in the world.”
Turning to maritime matters, Höegh Autoliners CEO Andreas Enger welcomed growing regulatory clarity around decarbonisation. “The IMO is beginning to shape global demand for cleaner fuels. That’s an encouraging signal that policy is starting to align with industry ambitions,” Enger noted.
Andrew Forrest, a vocal advocate for green hydrogen, echoed the need for bold action, dismissing LNG as an alternative fuel, while Kerry closed with a call for global cooperation across sectors: “The maritime industry is on the frontlines of climate change. What you do next will matter—for the economy, for energy security, and for the planet.”
