Tag: WOC

  As part of its commitment to sustainability, the GAC Group has become a member of the World Ocean Council (WOC), the international ocean business alliance for Corporate Ocean Responsibility. GAC joins more than 80 WOC members from the shipping, shipbuilding, oil & gas, fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, submarine cable sectors, as well as the maritime legal and financial communities. Many of its members have a long-standing relationship with GAC companies around the world. As an active WOC member, the GAC Group will support international initiatives that promote sustainable development and conservation of the ocean, and will continue to actively pursue developments that reduce the environmental impact of shipping operations. Christer Sjödoff, GAC’s Group Vice President – Commercial, says: “The sea is our natural habitat, so it makes sense that we should do everything in our power to make sure it is sustained. The mission and goals of the World Ocean Council resonate well with our own determination to serve shipping and other sectors that use the world’s oceans in a way that protects and preserves the delicate marine ecosystem, and the environment as a whole.” Paul Holthus, WOC founding President and CEO, says: “We are proud to welcome GAC to ...

  In association with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the MARPOL Annex I Study (MAX1) is underway on oily water separators (OWS) and shipboard environmental management. The WOC is working to help ensure there is adequate industry input to the study. The study includes a survey – carried out on an anonymous basis – seeking information on OWS operations and shipboard waste management, particularly from shipowners/managers and vessel crews. The anonymous OWS operations and shipboard waste management survey is at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/max1survey. The deadline for survey input is Friday, 5 June. Members of the ocean business community are encouraged to participate in this anonymous survey in order to provide information on their experience with OWS systems. The study objectives can be found by clicking here. A MAX1 Conference (24 June, 2015, North Carolina) will address the study results and the path forward for vessel machinery space waste stream management. Martin & Ottaway, coordinator of the study, has developed a chronology of OWS issue and regulations. Source: World Ocean CouncilIn the start, I was forthright with you propecia before and after has changed my being. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. ...

The World Ocean Council CEO, Paul Holthus, has been invited to be on the opening panel of the annual UN Oceans and the Law of the Sea meeting, a gathering established by the UN General Assembly. The event will take place at UN Headquarters in New York City on 6-10 April with the theme: Oceans and sustainable development: Integration of environmental, social and economic dimensions. The WOC has been invited to provide the opening overview on the economic aspects of ocean sustainable development. The opening panel will also include senior representatives of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), who will address the environmental and social aspects, respectively. Source: World Ocean CouncilIn the starting, I was frank with you propecia before and after has changed my being. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is incredible to sit.

  Damen Shipyards Group, has become the latest member of the World Ocean Council (WOC). Damen is the first European shipbuilder to join the WOC, the international business leadership alliance on ocean sustainability, science and stewardship. By focusing on optimizing ship design and working on product innovations, Damen works to reduce environmental impacts of shipping. This has resulted in, for example, an in-house E3 label, applying only to new Damen designs that are Environmentally friendly, Efficient in operation and Economically viable. Other examples are the new generations of hybrid, CNG and LNG tugs and inland shipping vessels, some of which are built and some of which are in research program. In addition, Damen recently formed partnerships with the Bellona Foundation, the Oslo-based institute for sustainable environmental solutions, and with the BlueTec Tidal Energy project. Damen's designers and developers are structurally investigating possibilities to contribute to a new generation of cleaner ships. The company is identifying and developing new ways to address growing ocean challenges, such as pioneering the world's first mobile ballast water treatment vessel (InvaSave) to operate in ports and support ship deballasting operations. Arnout Damen, Chief Commercial Officer, stated, "Vessels are a common and fundamental aspect of all ocean ...

World governments agreed last week that the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should be expanded to include a new legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine life in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). The new ocean regulations are proposed to include: ▪ Area-based management tools, such as marine planning and marine protected areas▪ Environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirements▪ The transfer of marine technology▪ The regime for managing marine genetic resources, including benefit-sharing How will these new ocean laws affect companies currently or potentially operating in the high seas and deep seabed – shipping, oil and gas, cruise tourism, fishing, seabed mining, biotechnology, submarine cable, and others – as well those from associated support sectors, such as maritime legal, finance, and insurance companies? The Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Peter Hinchliffe, stated that, “It is important that ocean industries are informed and constructively engaged in ocean governance developments. The WOC is providing this by monitoring, analyzing and reporting on the ocean policy and planning on behalf of the ocean business community. The WOC merits the support and involvement of companies concerned about the future of their ocean operations.” The decision ...

Vieira De Almeida & Associados (VdA), headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, has become a member of the World Ocean Council (WOC), expanding the geographic scope and diversity of the growing international industry alliance on ocean sustainability. Through its multidisciplinary “Blue Ocean” group, VdA is one of the key players entrusted with the development of the Cluster of the Sea as part of the new Blue Economy in Portugal. VdA is working to deepen Portugal's knowledge and know-how on the Economy of the Sea and to mobilize other "maritime nations" of the world, becoming a global leader on ocean issues in Portuguese speaking countries. VdA’s Partner, Margarida Couto, stated, “VdA is proud to become the WOC Member from Portugal. Bringing the WOC experience and the only international, cross-sectorial alliance for private sector leadership to Portugal and to the Portuguese Speaking Countries creates an unprecedented opportunity for ocean users to engage with companies from across the ocean sectors to address shared marine environmental challenges. This is particularly relevant as Portugal is hosting the “Blue Week,” on June 2015 where maritime related matters are going to be discussed at the highest level, placing the ocean thematic at the international agenda.“ Source: World Ocean CouncilIn ...

The World Ocean Council (WOC) has announced its 3rd Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) to be held on 9-11 November, 2015 in Singapore. The SOS is the only international, multi-sector, business event dedicated to “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”. This first SOS to be held in Asia, the 2015 event is being developed in collaboration with stakeholders in Singapore, Hong Kong and responsible business leadership companies from around the world. SOS 2015 is uniquely designed to bring together leadership companies from the diverse Ocean Business Community: shipping, oil and gas, seabed mining, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, offshore renewable energy, ports, dredging, mining, submarine cables, marine science, engineering and technology, the maritime legal, financial and insurance communities, and others - as well as ocean stakeholders from the government, inter-governmental, academic and environment communities. The SOS will address critical issues for cross-sector ocean industry leadership and collaboration, including: ocean policy and governance; the Arctic; marine biodiversity; ocean planning; ocean industry data collection; biofouling and invasive species; marine sound; marine debris and port reception facilities; marine mammal interactions; the role of finance, insurance and legal sectors in responsible ocean use. Other cross-cutting topics critical to industry leadership on ocean sustainability, stewardship and science are being developed with ...

More than 100 representatives of the Ocean Business Community and other ocean stakeholders gathered at the World Ocean Council (WOC) Business Forum on Ocean Policy and Planning in New York City, 28-30 September. The Business Forum (BF) created an opportunity for ocean industries and partners to engage on the topics of ocean governance and marine planning. In addition, the BF participants interacted with high-level officials from Europe, Canada and the U.S. on ocean science, observations, innovation and business community collaboration. To address the goal of increasing the level of informed, coordinated and proactive involvement of the ocean business community in Ocean Policy and Marine Planning developments affecting the future of responsible business operations, BF 2014 met the following objectives: Convene a diverse Ocean Business Community (OBC) around the current and upcoming ocean policy and marine planning developments. Raise awareness, provide briefings/updates, and illustrate trends and analysis on key ocean policy and marine planning developments affecting ocean industries. Assess risk, opportunities, priorities and mechanisms for coordinated and proactive OBC involvement in key ocean policy and planning developments. Build on existing or emerging partnerships from policy processes by creating opportunities for public private partnerships, cost sharing with the private sector and describing ...

Stena Bulk is the first Swedish shipping company to join the World Ocean Council (WOC) that converges a diverse range of maritime operations to promote the sustainable use of the world’s oceans. In a market that encompasses the transportation of crude oil, refined petroleum products and chemicals, an unfailing commitment to safety and environmental consideration is a must. The World Ocean Council encourages the business community to assume collective responsibility for the seas, and does not believe that a single company or industry can alone solve problems related to the Arctic, marine debris and ocean noise from tankers. Accordingly, the organization has engaged a vast array of sectors including shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, tourism, renewable energy (wind, wave, tidal), ports, cable companies, legal and financial services, as well as representatives from insurance companies. The Council’s practical efforts are aimed at improving ocean research to ensure safe and sustainable business practices, educating the public and relevant parties about corporate responsibility, and adding to the political discourse and maritime planning efforts. “Stena Bulk is delighted to become a member of the World Ocean Council. Sustainable business practices and sustainable seas require a global strategy. This international industrial platform allows us and ...

Oldendorff Carriers, headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, has become a member of the World Ocean Council (WOC), expanding the geographic scope and diversity of this unprecedented global ocean industry alliance. With more than 40 new vessels expected in the next 2-3 years, Oldendorff’s Green Ships Program clearly demonstrates company leadership in tackling environmental issues and overall fleet performance. Oldendorff’s Managing Director, Thomas Weber, stated, “Oldendorff is pleased to become a member of the World Ocean Council. The WOC has created an international cross-sectoral forum for ocean industry collaboration on sustainability that doesn’t exist elsewhere.” Oldendorff has already participated actively in WOC events, such as the recent WOC Business Forum on Ocean Policy and Planning (New York City, 28-30 September, 2014). Capt Paul Jeffrey, Senior Port Projects Manager for Oldendorff, participated in the event and noted, “The WOC role on ocean policy is crucial to not only to the shipping sector, but to all ocean industries. The WOC is usually the only ocean industry presence at the UN and other international meetings on cross-cutting ocean policy, such as the current Law of the Sea negotiations. The WOC Business Forum last month exemplifies WOC’s unique and vital role in bringing together the diverse ...