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Uae Maritime Sector Prioritises Green Shipping And Sustainability | |
| Staff Writer |
The World Maritime Day Parallel Event (WMDPE), hosted by the Government of South Africa in Durban under the theme "New Technologies, Greener Shipping," was attended by its permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization Mohamed Khamis AlKaabi and Captain Saif Al Mheiri, managing director of Abu Dhabi Maritime.
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The delegation discussed international industry issues and opportunities, capacity building, and IMO Technical Cooperation Programme at a high-level ministerial roundtable (ITCP).
On the role of the UAE in developing the global maritime sector, Mohamed Khamis Al Kaabi, permanent representative of the UAE to the International Maritime Organisation, said the UAE is among the most influential countries in developing the maritime industry and has established its pioneering position among the leading maritime hubs globally.
"Through its membership in the IMO Council, the country plays a pivotal role in meeting regional and global maritime needs. We will continue to work with the other member states to advance the global maritime sector and enhance the role of the International Maritime Organisation in supporting the safety, security, and efficiency of maritime transport in clean oceans," he said.
He said the UAE has played an effective role in introducing fundamental amendments to many resolutions that contribute to developing and improving work systems to keep pace with global changes and the latest technological developments, especially about green shipping.
Al Kaabi said the theme for this year's World Maritime Day Parallel Event, "New technologies for greener shipping", requires all countries to unite and take action on the decarbonisation of shipping and ports through the use of zero or low-carbon technologies, fuels, and infrastructure.
"The shipping sector produces 2-3 percent of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, the IMO has set a target to cut the sector’s carbon emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70 percent by 2050 compared to 2008 levels and to reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2008, to phase them out as soon as possible in this century," he stated.
He commented further that the technologies and infrastructure for new fuels must be ready for wide market uptake in shipping by 2030 for the sector to meet the IMO’s 2050 target which would be possible with a major collaboration with energy companies, ports, shipping companies, and cargo owners.
The World Maritime Day Parallel Event is an opportunity for the international community to make concrete contributions and collaborate on innovative and mitigation strategies geared towards addressing the impact of maritime transport on climate change and sustainability.