Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    recaap isc armed robbery

    ReCAAP ISC: Three armed robbery incidents against ships in Asia

    iswan iranian seafarers union

    ISWAN, Iranian seafarers’ trade union to improve lives of seafarers

    pilots prevent containership grounding

    Pilots manage to prevent containership from grounding in Southampton waters

    nautical institute corroded extinguisher

    Lessons learned: Condemned material should be discarded

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    How are you making decisions? The 6 human needs

    How are you making decisions? The 6 human needs

    how to fall asleep

    6 tips to help you fall asleep when you wake up at night

    psychotherapy

    Working in business? How psychotherapy can be a life-changing experience

    sexual health

    Sexual health important to overall wellbeing: Key considerations

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    Floating Wind Foundation Design for World’s Largest Turbines

    Floating wind foundation design for world’s largest turbines approved

    shipbreaking platform

    NGO Shipbreaking Platform: 443 ships and offshore units sold for scrapping in 2022

    Virginia Inland Port

    Virginia Inland Port operates on 100% green power

    uae france decarbonization hard to abate

    UAE, France collaborate to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    2023 SMART4SEA Virtual Forum: Key technological achievements in the smart shipping era

    2023 SMART4SEA Virtual Forum: Key technological achievements in the smart shipping era

    australia satellite augmentation system

    New satellite-based augmentation system for Australia and New Zealand

    maersk digital twins

    Maersk: 4 ways digital twins will transform logistics

    maersk drone inventory

    Maersk: Drones to improve inventory management system

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    philippines 18 detained fuel theft

    Philippines: 18 from 3 ships detained for fuel theft

    black sea mou cic stcw

    Black Sea MoU: Preliminary results of CIC on STCW

    Keppel Offshore fines

    Keppel Offshore & Marine pays $65m in fines after corruption case

    fmc delay and disruption claims

    FMC: Increase in “Delay and Disruption” claims

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    containers capacity

    Post-Chinese New Year capacity still very high

    Virginia Inland Port

    Virginia Inland Port operates on 100% green power

    abandonment of seafarers

    What can be done about the plight of abandoned seafarers

    bsm all aboard alliance

    BSM joins All-Aboard Alliance to enhance DEI efforts

  • Columns
    Maritime Just Transition Task Force: Engaging industry in social dialogue

    Maritime Just Transition Task Force: Engaging industry in social dialogue

    Career Paths: David Tournay, Maritime Skills Alliance

    Career Paths: Sinikka Hartonen, One Sea Association

    Career Paths: David Tournay, Maritime Skills Alliance

    Career Paths: David Tournay, Maritime Skills Alliance

    Trending Tags

    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    recaap isc armed robbery

    ReCAAP ISC: Three armed robbery incidents against ships in Asia

    iswan iranian seafarers union

    ISWAN, Iranian seafarers’ trade union to improve lives of seafarers

    pilots prevent containership grounding

    Pilots manage to prevent containership from grounding in Southampton waters

    nautical institute corroded extinguisher

    Lessons learned: Condemned material should be discarded

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    How are you making decisions? The 6 human needs

    How are you making decisions? The 6 human needs

    how to fall asleep

    6 tips to help you fall asleep when you wake up at night

    psychotherapy

    Working in business? How psychotherapy can be a life-changing experience

    sexual health

    Sexual health important to overall wellbeing: Key considerations

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    Floating Wind Foundation Design for World’s Largest Turbines

    Floating wind foundation design for world’s largest turbines approved

    shipbreaking platform

    NGO Shipbreaking Platform: 443 ships and offshore units sold for scrapping in 2022

    Virginia Inland Port

    Virginia Inland Port operates on 100% green power

    uae france decarbonization hard to abate

    UAE, France collaborate to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    2023 SMART4SEA Virtual Forum: Key technological achievements in the smart shipping era

    2023 SMART4SEA Virtual Forum: Key technological achievements in the smart shipping era

    australia satellite augmentation system

    New satellite-based augmentation system for Australia and New Zealand

    maersk digital twins

    Maersk: 4 ways digital twins will transform logistics

    maersk drone inventory

    Maersk: Drones to improve inventory management system

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    philippines 18 detained fuel theft

    Philippines: 18 from 3 ships detained for fuel theft

    black sea mou cic stcw

    Black Sea MoU: Preliminary results of CIC on STCW

    Keppel Offshore fines

    Keppel Offshore & Marine pays $65m in fines after corruption case

    fmc delay and disruption claims

    FMC: Increase in “Delay and Disruption” claims

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    containers capacity

    Post-Chinese New Year capacity still very high

    Virginia Inland Port

    Virginia Inland Port operates on 100% green power

    abandonment of seafarers

    What can be done about the plight of abandoned seafarers

    bsm all aboard alliance

    BSM joins All-Aboard Alliance to enhance DEI efforts

  • Columns
    Maritime Just Transition Task Force: Engaging industry in social dialogue

    Maritime Just Transition Task Force: Engaging industry in social dialogue

    Career Paths: David Tournay, Maritime Skills Alliance

    Career Paths: Sinikka Hartonen, One Sea Association

    Career Paths: David Tournay, Maritime Skills Alliance

    Career Paths: David Tournay, Maritime Skills Alliance

    Trending Tags

    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

A strategic mindset on ESG is key for long term sustainability

Interview with Dr. Kostas Gkonis, Director & Secretary General, INTERCARGO

by Dr. Kostas Gkonis
May 9, 2022
in Green Shipping, Opinions
A strategic mindset on ESG is key for long term sustainability
FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

In the last GREEN4SEA Forum, Dr. Kostas G. Gkonis, Director / Secretary General, INTERCARGO highlighted that the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) have become the new normal for maritime stakeholders; industry is currently focusing on how to apply a holistic transformation of its operations to address ESG challenges and apply requirements from a monitoring and reporting perspective.

 

SAFETY4SEA: What are the ESG challenges/ barriers and drivers towards sustainable shipping?

Kostas Gkonis: The main challenge and barrier is the G part. The Governance. If decision-makers do not grasp the reality and what is expected from them and their companies, nothing will happen, them and their companies will be laggards. In fact allow me to say they will belong to history, as I do not quite see a future for such companies lacking the vision, the leadership, the G element. One key ESG driver we should not by any means neglect in our industry is Safety. In an increasingly complex environment, the fundamental dimension of Safety needs to be brought back to center stage. I have the privilege and responsibility of participating in the steering committee of Together in Safety, an Initiative championed by a number of organizations, including of course INTERCARGO, where this critical dimension has been identified, so that it forms integral part of our messaging and deliverables.

RelatedNews

Virginia Inland Port operates on 100% green power

UAE, France collaborate to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries

 

S4S: What should be the next steps towards an ESG-ready industry?

K.Gk: A new Mindset is needed. Our industry cannot simply rely on its history, the achievements and successes of the past. We need to build on the past for sure, there lie the foundations of this amazing industry that shipping is. But a new mindset, call it vision and perspectives if you prefer, are needed and inevitably new visionary people also need to be trusted to deliver on the challenges of today & tomorrow. This is step 1. Step 2 is collaboration & partnerships. Let us be under no illusions. ESG is here to stay as the new mindset, reality and expression of basic expectations in a broader stakeholders’ economy and environment. But one claiming that can walk the walk on their own are largely disillusioned, be it as free riders or self-proclaiming leaders who can be taken for simply arrogant. This is not a lonely game, this is a collective challenge and ambition for the many peoples and societies of this one planet.

 

S4S: What are the best practices to address ESG challenges?

K.Gk: There is no single approach, no fit-for-all solution. ESG is by no means prescribed in, or delivered via, one scheme. Instead what is needed is a broader mindset and perspective and employing multiple approaches , in order to narrow down on, or indeed formulate, an appropriate set of best practices for the concerned sector and specific company, which can and even should be distinct in their content. Collaboration as already said, engaging in partnerships, goes without saying as a basic best practice. Overall, one should not expect to find answers or implement them through quick fixes. ESG is a journey and process that materializes in a longer term.

 

S4S: What is the importance of ESG, industry wide and its impact to strategic thinking?

K.Gk: ESG is existential. Period. Addressing ESG in some way or another translates into a ‘license to operate’. It is all about strategic thinking, planning and delivering, but action is needed now to deliver before it is too late. I am afraid many, especially smaller sized, companies are so much focused on the present and short-term survival that they miss the strategic element and thinking. If consumed in and focused on the short term, the immediate profit, the opportunity will be lost. One may be a master of adaptation and operational effectiveness, but without a strategic mindset there is no tomorrow!

 

S4S: What are the lessons to be learned and applied from other industries and key priorities?

K.Gk: There are enormous lessons to be learned and benefit to be gained, but we cannot simply replicate; see eg the safety dimension that is fundamental in our industry. There is our own story to tell, history and achievements to cherish, and future to build without easy imitations or compromises. Also, we should not accept any finger pointing by interests who are superficial in their judgements or badly informed and positioned to exercise such scrutiny.

But let us focus on the shipping companies and community as the primary concerned stakeholders, which deliver real tangible value and services. Some key priorities to be set:

-Introspection should be over; we need to be out there in the public domain, modernizing our image, messaging and value offering,
-Attracting talent, and being receptive to new ideas and trends
-The old style of big egos and unchallenged experience should also be over.
-ESG is an existential question; latecomers and laggards are likely to fail to survive. Instead, it is imperative to recognize the value of ESG and act upon it at the core of our business, in order to secure survival in this decade & beyond
-ESG actually offers huge opportunities to secure business success in the future.

 

The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and not necessarily those of  SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion  purposes only.

Tags: ESGfuture of shippingGREEN4SEAInterviewsustainability
Dr. Kostas Gkonis

Dr. Kostas Gkonis

Dr Gkonis is a professional with 20 years of experience. His work has been focusing on maritime policy and the industry’s environmental soundness, decarbonisation, sustainability, ESG, and innovation. He holds the position of Director / Secretary General of INTERCARGO since Oct. 2016. During his time, the Association’s Membership has more than doubled to about 25% (basis deadweight tonnage) of the global dry bulk fleet, bringing together more than 220 forward thinking companies from 30 countries and promoting quality dry bulk shipping. He holds a PhD in Maritime Transport from the National Technical University of Athens – NTUA (Laboratory for Maritime Transport, School of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering), a M.Sc. in International Business (Manchester School of Management, UMIST) and a M.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering with specialisation in energy (NTUA)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

How are you making decisions? The 6 human needs

How are you making decisions? The 6 human needs

February 1, 2023
2023 SMART4SEA Virtual Forum: Key technological achievements in the smart shipping era

2023 SMART4SEA Virtual Forum: Key technological achievements in the smart shipping era

February 1, 2023

SEAFiT Poll

What is the biggest obstacle for the social life onboard?

MARITIME EVENTS

Explore

  • Safety
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • Events
  • Plus

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Contact

RISK4SEA Facts

Did you know that age matters for 2020? 80% more on the Detention Rate for Bulk Carriers 11-15 yo vs. 2019 in the USA.

Learn more risk4sea.com

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Alerts
    • Accidents
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Reports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Opinions
    • Career Paths
    • Industry Voices
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
  • Events
  • Plus

© 2021 SAFETY4SEA

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Disclaimer.