ICS plans to mark its centenary and host a high-level summit to address the challenge of decarbonisation.
The closed-door meeting will be held in London the day after a dinner on 20 June 2022 at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich to mark the organisation’s Centenary.
We have heard many words and commitments over the past year but there has been very little real action. Business is about getting things done so the board has decided to use the moment when we mark our 100 years at the helm of shipping to bring the leaders of our industry
stated Esben Poulsson, chairman of ICS.
More specifically, ICS will use the summit to gather the world’s most influential maritime, political, and business leaders to the City of London. Productive conversations with governments during COP26 highlighted the need for leaders from the entire value chain to work together to address shipping’s decarbonisation challenge.
Building on the success of the Shaping the Future of Shipping Conference held in Glasgow the Shaping the Future of Shipping summit will take place in London on 21 June 2022.
The summit will see industry leaders and ministers from across the globe joined by members from the ports, energy, and finance sectors, as well as representatives of the unions and foundations to ensure workers and the developing world are at the heart of the supply chain’s green transition.
It was clear from the previous Shaping the Future of Shipping conference at COP26 that shipping leaders are aligned on the need for action and are prepared to tackle headfirst the decarbonisation challenges that lie ahead
said the UK shipping minister Nusrat Ghani MP, who will chair the summit.
At the ICS board meeting on 8th February, board members reiterated the importance of creating open dialogues between all stakeholders to find practical solutions to the barriers preventing shipping’s green transition. The ICS-led summit will convene all parties vital to shipping’s decarbonisation and move forward on resolving systemic issues to progress to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The agenda will focus on identifying next steps for solutions designated by industry last year including investing in research and development, prioritising the fuel choices, and ensuring a just transition, needed to achieve net-zero by 2050.
In addition, concerns around the high levels of political risk preventing a green transition were reaffirmed by the board.
As highlighted at the Shaping the Future of Shipping Conference in Glasgow, we will only know whether the shipping industry’s efforts are a success when the transition is underway in earnest. This meeting of minds from maritime and across industries and governments in June will be a decisive point in shipping’s green transition
Emanuelle Grimaldi, incoming Chair of ICS added.
During 2021, Shipowner associations representing the global maritime transport industry submitted a proposal to the IMO to form the world’s first collaborative shipping R&D programme for pushing work of CO2 emissions reduction from international shipping.
The proposal includes core funding from shipping companies across the world of about USD 5 billion over a 10-year period.
As such, the eight international groups, including BIMCO, Cruise Lines International Association, INTERCARGO, INTERFERRY, ICS, INTERTANKO, International Parcel Tankers Association, World Shipping Council, are proposing the establishment of an International Maritime Research and Development Board (IMRB), a non-governmental R&D organisation that would be overseen by IMO Member States.
