The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says that the shipping industry will come together with ministers during the UNFCCC Climate Conference COP28.
The major summit – Shaping the Future of Shipping – will be hosted under the patronage of HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister for Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI) at the Museum of the Future in Dubai. The high-profile summit will follow a Ministerial Roundtable at COP28 hosted by the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and will culminate with a gala dinner held in honour of IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, prior to his stepping down at the end of the year.
The Shaping the Future of Shipping summit, which is being organised by ICS and a range of industry bodies, will once again bring together governments and leaders in energy, maritime and all parts of the value chain. The aim of the event is to work on the practical solutions and take forward plans to address climate change, help sustainably transition the industry and prepare the workforce. This will build on the momentum of the historic agreement made during MEPC80. The summit is an opportunity for industry leaders and policymakers to identify the practical actions needed to deliver on the direction set out by governments at the IMO and during the COP negotiations.
The plans for COP28 are being unveiled following discussions with HE Hessa al Malek, Advisor to the UAE Minister for Maritime Transport Affairs, and Guy Platten, ICS Secretary General, that took place at the IMO in London.
H.E. Hessa al Malek said: “The UAE leads numerous global competitiveness indicators in the maritime sector. It ranks third globally in the Bunker Supply Index, fifth as a key competitive maritime hub and 12th in the transport lines index. This is a result of the competitive business environment the UAE provides, which attracts major international maritime companies and makes the country’s ports a preferred destination for international shipping lines.”
Guy Platten, ICS Secretary General, said: “All industries and governments have a responsibility to tackle climate change, but we know that we cannot achieve our goals alone. This is why Shaping the Future of Shipping is such an important event. This summit is an opportunity to bring sectors and governments together in one place to talk about our challenges and most importantly find tangible solutions to achieve our goals. 2050 is not that far away so we must keep momentum going for increased collaboration and cooperation. Infrastructure, fuel availability, financing, preparing our workforce to handle low and zero carbon emission fuels are all challenges we need to urgently address.”
In December 2022, ICS signed a memorandum of understanding with the Emirates Shipping Association for collaboration towards the UNFCCC Climate Conference COP28 and beyond. The Shaping the Future of Shipping summit is an outcome of this cooperation and demonstrates the strength of the relationship with the UAE and its shipping industry. The UAE has played a leading role in the formation of the Clean Energy Marine Hubs (CEM Hubs) initiative that intends to support the establishment of Energy Hubs with access to ports by de-risking the investments needed to produce low- and zero-emission fuels to be transported and used by the maritime sector.
