The Global Maritime Forum (GMF), a convener of changemakers and progressive companies and organizations, aspires to position the maritime industry to achieve the 2030 goals on decarbonization set by the International Maritime Organization. They are committed to ongoing efforts toward these objectives.
As exclusively explained to SAFETY4SEA, in five years, GMF would like to have helped make the maritime industry a more attractive workplace for talented and smart people across the world.
‘’The maritime industry is clearly moving in the right direction. To enable a full transition to net-zero emissions, the Getting to Zero Coalition, together with UMAS and the Race to Zero, formulated a milestone of reaching at least 5% scalable zero-emission fuels by 2030 as a critical tipping point for full decarbonisation. Our recent progress report highlighted the development made towards this goal and what is needed to remain fully on track.‘’, the GMF highlighted.
A key area of progress is with pilot projects. The report, titled “Climate Action in Shipping, Progress towards Shipping’s 2030 Breakthrough’’ showed that the number of pilot projects has significantly increased over the past year, with numerous projects already moving into commercialisation. These projects are not just theoretical but are delivering tangible results. For example, the first green methanol ship has been delivered and the first ammonia bunkering projects have been carried out. Furthermore, green shipping corridors are progressing toward de-risking investments and learning from smaller-scale operations before the full transition.
The policy aspect is also progressing, with the adoption of the IMO’s Revised GHG Strategy that sets the industry on a clear path to zero-by-2050. At the same time, national and regional policy frameworks are starting to take shape. Many countries have, for example, adopted national hydrogen strategies and developed plans for the production of scalable zero-emission fuels. The European Union has also made significant progress by adopting various shipping-related files within the EU’s Fit for 55 deal, including the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for shipping and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation.
However, all of this progress needs to be significantly scaled up to reach zero emissions by 2050 swiftly and efficiently. The sector is now looking to the IMO, which is developing policy measures, including setting concrete technical and economic measures. These are critical to ensure first-movers’ actions, such as green corridors, can be fully de-risked and scaled up while ensuring the transition is just and equitable.
Collaboration is the new fuel
The approach of the Global Maritime Forum involves a five-step process to drive systemic change through multi-stakeholder collaboration. As explained, it begins with scanning for challenges by engaging with maritime stakeholders, often at GMF’s Annual Summit. Next, they delve into data collection to explore identified issues and develop reliable indicators in partnership with industry experts. Then, they move to co-designing solutions, working with stakeholders across the value chain to address identified problems effectively. Subsequently, they pilot ambitious solutions in real time to determine their impact. Finally, GMF works with relevant parties to set better standards, ensuring industry-wide implementation of impactful solutions.
As a convener, the Global Maritime Forum facilitates collaboration among key leaders, resulting in concrete activities.
For instance, we’ve initiated transparency initiatives that enhance collaboration through frameworks and benchmarks tailored to specific sectors like financial institutions, charterers/shipowners, and marine insurers. These efforts support the IMO’s 2023 GHG Strategy, fostering collective action with clients.
….the GMF further explained.
The methodologies of these initiatives are public, enabling annual disclosures to create transparency and facilitate benchmarking of climate alignment with global goals. These initiatives aim to enable financial institutions, charterers/shipowners, and marine insurers to align their portfolios with responsible environmental behaviour, incentivising decarbonisation in international shipping.
A key focus area
‘’For starters, approximately 90% of seafarers are currently working on temporary contracts, which leaves the responsibility of ensuring the necessary upskilling and training largely with the seafarers themselves. The industry needs to start taking the necessary steps to equip and educate seafarers for the future. ‘’ commented the GMF regarding the industry’s focus on the energy transition and emerging technologies in shipping.
Supporting DEI
‘’Several companies are enhancing their efforts to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive – but unfortunately, there are still many companies that have done little to adapt to a quickly changing pool of talent. They will be paying a high price for their lack of investment in the years to come.’’,remarked the GMF regarding the progress made towards Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the maritime industry up to the present day.
On the other hand, the GMF highlighted that there are also several companies that have taken these principles to heart, such as the 40 member companies in the All Aboard Alliance for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive maritime industry. This ambitious coalition of the willing is working actively together to drive change, notably when it comes to diversity and inclusion at sea, within the ambitious pilot project Diversity@Sea, launched at GMF’s Annual Summit 2023 in Athens.
Crew welfare remains on top
The GMF announced they are currently conducting their Diversity@Sea pilot, where they are exploring – together with 12 different companies and onboard 12 different pilot vessels – how to make life and work at sea both attractive and inclusive engage with more than 300 seafarers onboard the pilot vessels daily to better understand what is important to them and what can be done to improve their working conditions.
Creating the right culture and mindset for an ESG-fit maritime industry
We want to make the maritime industry more sustainable overall, so we need to stop passing responsibility on to others and instead work together to make the necessary changes and improvements, especially regarding the ‘S’ of ESG.
…the organization added.
Discussions about who is ultimately to blame for the industry’s race to the bottom on seafarer treatment have occurred regularly since the 1990s. Instead of trying to understand who to blame for this, we must all take accountability for how seafarers are treated throughout the supply chain, regardless of segment or company size, stressed the GMF team.
‘’It all begins with transparency and being able and willing to collectively – as an industry – work together on defining standards for seafarer treatment and commit to applying these standards regardless of flag status or trade route. We will also use the same standards and indicators in our reporting to ensure mutual accountability.‘’
New projects in store
The Global Maritime Forum is currently working on developing a set of strong and reliable indicators for human sustainability, where their team is collaborating with all the different parts of the industry (owners, managers, charterers, cargo owners, etc.) to align on how to set better standards when it comes to mental health and wellbeing, safety, inclusion, and working and living conditions at sea.
By monitoring these indicators and standards, the GMF team is building transparency around the otherwise invisible working conditions for seafarers; ‘’Our ambition is to drive mutual accountability around how people are – and should be – treated within and across the maritime supply chain. Furthermore, we want to ensure that we get to define those standards as an industry and manage to do so before the big retailers begin developing their standards and requirements. ‘’, the team explained.
Last thoughts towards a more sustainable future
Concluding our discussion, the GMF team shared their key message for a more sustainable shipping: ‘’Transparency is crucial for building trust and sharing progress. Collaboration among all stakeholders is essential. The business case for ESG includes attracting talent and anticipating/complying with legislation. It’s part of a collective effort—without measurement, there can be no progress.’’
