Global maritime leaders discuss ways to make the blue business green

Transporting more than 90% of world trade, the shipping industry continues to play its part to conserve and sustainably use the oceans.

The Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) Conference on “Green Shipping. Blue Business. Moving Forward Together” was in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week 2018.
Ola Elvestuen, Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, said: “The Norwegian Government decided early that green shipping should be a priority area of climate change.
“Determined efforts and private-public partnerships have brought Norway into a leading position in developing and using green technology in domestic shipping.
“Norway will contribute actively to promoting green shipping internationally, both by sharing our experiences and in the ongoing IMO negotiations of a global framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.”

More sustainable maritime sector

The shipping industry is transporting more than 90% of world trade. Therefore, realising the importance of its role, the industry continues to play its part to conserve and sustainably use the oceans and marine resources.
Importantly, this is one of the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (“Agenda 2030”, Goal #14).
Hence, the conference aims to contribute towards the implementation of Agenda 2030 by promoting a more environmentally sustainable maritime sector.
This year’s conference is promoting environmentally sound, efficient, and sustainable shipping. So, it follows the recent adoption of the Initial Strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. (72nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the IMO in April 2018).

Promoting green shipping

Certainly, the shipping industry is global in nature. Therefore, the ASEM Conference served as an ideal platform to promote green shipping to international stakeholders.
At the conference, participants exchanged insights and best practices. These included a wide range of issues integral towards the promotion of environmentally sound, efficient, and sustainable shipping.
The issues discussed included the following.

Current landscape of efforts to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping
Innovative systems, new technological and commercial solutions
Partnerships and perspectives from Asia and Europe
Use of technology and policy to promote green shipping

The conference is an initiative organised under the ASEM framework. ASEM has a total of 53 countries and partners from Asia and Europe.
Hence, it is part of an intergovernmental process to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe on key issues of common interest.