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René Taud­al Poulsen

Associate Professor

Subjects
Transport Shipping Climate Green transition

Primary research areas

Glob­al en­vir­on­ment­al gov­ernance
I study en­vir­on­ment­al gov­ernance pro­cesses in the con­text of the in­ter­na­tion­al ship­ping and port sec­tors, ex­plor­ing how mar­ket-based and hier­arch­ic­al gov­ernance modes in­flu­ence the en­vir­on­ment­al pro­tec­tion stand­ards of the sec­tors.
Polit­ic­al eco­nomy
I study how chan­ging power re­la­tions shape the en­vir­on­ment­al and la­bour pro­tec­tion stand­ards with­in the in­ter­na­tion­al ship­ping and port sec­tors.
Green trans­itions
I study pro­cesses of green trans­itions and en­vir­on­ment­al up­grad­ing with­in the in­ter­na­tion­al ship­ping and port sec­tors.

Mak­ing the in­ter­na­tion­al ship­ping and port sec­tors green­er and more at­tract­ive places to work

My research contributes to the upgrading of the international shipping and port sectors by exploring how businesses and policymakers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships and make them more attractive places to work.  

My research also addresses global equity concerns in environmental governance by suggesting how developing countries can gain stronger voices in the governance of international shipping emissions and participate in environmental upgrading processes.  

Publications

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27 February 2026

Is There Hope for Shipping’s Transition to a Green Future?

Sus­a­na Bor­rás, Professor

René Tau­dal Po­ul­sen, Associate Professor

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18 February 2026

Building Transformative State Capacity in Green Industrial Policy

Enabling Sustainability Transitions in Ferry Shipping

René Tau­dal Po­ul­sen, Associate Professor

Sus­a­na Bor­rás, Professor

Go to publication

October 2025

Nautical Media: An Historical Ethnography of Ships and Control Rooms by Asher Boersma (review)

René Tau­dal Po­ul­sen, Associate Professor

Go to publication

Recent research projects

En­vir­on­ment­al Mari­time Gov­ernance in Kenya

The “En­vir­on­ment­al Mari­time Gov­ernance in Kenya” pro­ject ex­plores Kenya’s en­vir­on­ment­al mari­time gov­ernance for the abate­ment of emis­sions of green­house gases and air pol­lut­ants from ships. It sug­gests ways to strengthen Kenya’s mari­time gov­ernance ca­pa­city and sup­ports Kenya’s ef­forts to mit­ig­ate cli­mate change and im­prove loc­al air qual­ity.
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Ca­pa­cit­or

The “Ca­pa­cit­or” pro­ject stud­ies the ca­pa­cit­ies of pub­lic sec­tor or­gan­iz­a­tions in the gov­ernance of green trans­itions.
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Outside activities

Task Force Scand­inavi­an Star, 2022 , -

Con­sultancy on valu­ations of second-hand fer­ries and archiv­al stud­ies

Weil­bach , 2022 - 2023

Au­thor for a book on Weil­bach his­tory
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Dan­ish Ship­ping Edu­ca­tion , 2023 - 2025

Ex­am­iner
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