Navigating maritime climate regulation with precision

OceanEdge helps businesses and governments prepare for and align with evolving climate regulations across oceans, sectors, and jurisdictions.

Strategic insight for a changing maritime world

OceanEdge is a strategic consultancy that helps companies, governments, and ports navigate the evolving landscape of maritime climate regulation.

A new wave of international, regional, and national rules is reshaping how the maritime and energy sectors operate. OceanEdge offers detailed analysis and forward-looking insights on the IMO’s Net Zero Framework, the EU’s FuelEU and ETS directives, and U.S. climate and environmental laws.

Who You'll Work With

Baine Kerr

Baine Kerr, PhD, is an expert on the decarbonization of the international shipping sector, and combines in-depth knowledge of maritime and climate law with hands-on legal experience. Based in the Netherlands and the United States, Baine has published widely on the law of the sea, climate law, and carbon markets, and regularly speaks on these topics before international audiences. Baine is the owner and principal of OceanEdge Consulting, and is an associate research fellow with the Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea and the Utrecht Center for Water, Oceans, and Sustainability Law.

Baine moved to the Netherlands from Los Angeles, California, where he is licensed to practice law. He worked for eight years as a Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice, representing state agencies and officials in coastal and environmental disputes and handling felony criminal appeals. Baine litigated dozens of cases in state and federal court at the trial and appellate levels, including high profile and sensitive matters. He also served a one-year term as a Research Attorney for Presiding Justice Norman L. Epstein of the California Court of Appeal.

Baine holds a PhD and an LL.M in public international law from Utrecht University, a J.D. from UCLA School of Law, and a B.A. from Vassar College. He has been a visiting researcher at the Oxford University Faculty of Law and the University of Copenhagen Center for Climate Law and Governance.

Papers by Baine Kerr:

Services

What we offer

Regulatory Strategy

We help businesses and financial companies navigate regulatory shifts — from the IMO’s Net Zero Framework to the EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime, and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. OceanEdge provides tailored analysis to align operations and investments with new compliance pathways, reducing risk and revealing opportunity.

Market Impact Analysis

Regulations don’t just change obligations — they can reshape markets. In the coming years, regulators will decide which maritime fuels qualify as zero and near zero carbon. OceanEdge offers forward-looking regulatory analysis to help financial firms and traders plan for future fuel prices, including blue and green ammonia, methanol, and biofuels.

Policy Advisory for Leaders

For governments, ports, and institutions, OceanEdge can provide in-depth research grounded in legal expertise. We support public sector clients in evaluating policy trade-offs, designing implementation frameworks, and staying ahead of multilateral developments in climate and maritime governance.