The UK has signed up to a ‘green corridors’ agreement alongside Norway, the Netherlands and the United States to bring about zero-emission shipping routes between these countries.

The agreement, made at the COP27 conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh, opens up the possibility of carbon-free routes between several countries in the North Atlantic.

It also includes a separate agreement between the UK and US to launch a Green Shipping Corridor Task Force, a collaborative research and development effort.

Both Norway and the UK are well-placed to be able to offer green power to vessels through shore-power connections, thanks to an abundance of renewable energy. But while Norway is a market leader, home to dozens of shore power installations either built or in the pipeline, the UK remains “20 years behind” in offering shore power at ports, the UK Chamber of Shipping said earlier this year.