Europe’s carbon pricing scheme — the first worldwide to include shipping emissions — marks a turning point in the way policymakers view the industry, according to key shipping official Philippos Philis.

“The outcome is a clear victory for the decarbonisation of shipping,” the president of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) said in an interview.

“It reflects the change in the perception of shipping by European Union policymakers and is the outcome of a two-year campaign and hard work,” Philis said.