Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has officially banned the carrying of coal on its commercially managed bulk carriers.

The “No Coal Cargo” policy — believed to be the first from a major shipowner — comes as the shipping industry increasingly finds itself in the crosshairs of financial backers who are cleaning up their businesses by renouncing the dirtiest fossil fuel.

EPS chief executive Cyril Ducau announced the coal ban in the company’s 2022 environmental, social and governance (ESG) policy released on Tuesday.