The IMO’s desire to eliminate shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions is startlingly ambitious. But it has to be. And the only[ds_preview] way of achieving it, is through collective understanding, strategy and action.
IMO has set shipping the goal of halving emissions by 2050 and eliminating them entirely by 2100. For some this may seem fanciful, for others it won’t be enough – set against a background of climate change, extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels 2100 seems a very long way off.
We can argue about the timescale, but we can’t argue about the objective. If shipping wants to retain its position at the vanguard of world trade it must act to safeguard the very world it serves. But how?
I don’t have the answer. And neither do you. But maybe we do.
What shipping needs to play the part in the protection of the environment that society demands of us is collaboration. A truly joined up approach – across segments, across industries, across borders – bringing in all stakeholders to build the accord, momentum and strategy that is required for success.
Work is now underway. Last year the Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, initiated a High-level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, comprising a group of world leaders from coastal states committed to action in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – international shipping has a key seat at the table. 2018 also saw the launch of the UN Global Compact Action Platform for Sustainable Ocean Business, with an open invitation to help develop a framework and enthusiasm for responsible use of our ocean resources.
Ahead of this year’s Nor-Shipping, taking place from 4-7 June in Lillestrøm and Oslo, Solberg is now convening a roundtable discussion entitled »Engineering Green Shipping«, inviting some of the world industry leaders attending Nor-Shipping to share information, present solutions and address challenges for the introduction of scalable low and zero emission technologies.
This activity alone won’t take us to the carbon neutral destination we desire, but it might just show us the way forward. At the very least it’s a start – a platform for sharing ideas and developing approaches. And that is what we need, action.
Nor-Shipping 2019 wants to play a part. This year will see a focus on innovation, sustainability and, in the new Blue Economy Hall, ways of using our precious ocean resources in the most responsible, yet profitable way.
It will provide a hub for networking, knowledge sharing and building partnerships. In doing so we hope it will help galvanize our industry to see not just the challenges, but also the opportunities for change.
The goal of creating a truly sustainable shipping industry is ambitious, but I don’t believe it’s naive to say we can do it… if we stand together. I’ll look forward to seeing everyone at Nor-Shipping to discuss how.
Per Martin Tanggaard
