The duty to decarbonize: Assessing Bangladesh's maritime (greenhouse gas) emissions reduction initiatives

This commentary examines the obstacles to Bangladesh's maritime greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction in light of changing international commitments. It places Bangladesh's decarbonization initiatives in the context of the IMO's 2023 GHG Strategy, the GreenVoyage2050 programme and recent advisory opinions from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the International Court of Justice. The commentary denotes that, while GreenVoyage2050 provides valuable technical support, systematic legal, institutional and financial barriers continue to limit real emission reductions. Delivering maritime GHG emissions reduction in Bangladesh requires extensive legislative reform, institutional development and ongoing international support based on climate justice principles.