Conference Day 2Wednesday, 13 March 2024

ESG is becoming an increasingly controversial topic. This session will delve into the business case for ESG and how many aspects of maritime affairs it impacts. From human rights, seafarer wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, energy transition, decarbonization and even financing of newbuild projects. Additionally, it will cover how to engage stakeholders and formulate business strategy to get it right!

The war in Ukraine has put Europe's dependence on energy imports under the spotlight. The United States has stepped in and pledged to increase its exports LNG to Europe. While this helps address the shortfall in energy imports from Russia in the short term, it raises the question as to how far the EU wants to build an energy partnership with the US. The US Inflation Reduction Act, a huge investment bill pouring billions of dollars into the American economy by favouring US-made clean energy and technology, coupled with various state-level programmes contour the US climate policy, however discrepancies remain significant.

The CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator) is a measure for a ship’s energy efficiency and is given in grams of CO2 emitted per cargo-carrying capacity and nautical mile. Starting in 2024, the CII must be calculated and reported to the Data Collection System (DCS) verifier together with the aggregated DCS data for the previous year, including any correction factors and voyage adjustments. Deadline for DCS and CII submission remains unchanged - no later than 31 March each year with the environmental rating (A to E) to be noted on the DCS Statement of Compliance (SoC), which will be required to be kept on board for five years.

We look at the first year of reporting and how the initiative impacted operational and commercial choices.

Much of the port infrastructure in the US is aging, leading to capacity constraints, increased maintenance costs, and potential inefficiencies, as well as subject to vulnerability caused by climate change. The lack of seamless intermodal connectivity - road, rail, and maritime transportation, poses a significant challenge. High upfront costs for retrofitting or building new eco-friendly infrastructure, such as shore power facilities and alternative fuelling stations, coupled with regulatory complexity and technological transition challenges can be significant barriers to the development of Green Shipping Corridors.

In this session we examine the state of affairs portside and what is on the horizon.

This presentation is from the second place winner of the Business of Shipping Competition supported by the CMA Education Foundation and sponsored by d'Amico. Each of the three winners receives a monetary prize, kindly donated by d’Amico, and the opportunity to present a summary of their papers to the CMA Shipping Audience. From experience we know these presentations will be as well prepared as they are interesting and audience members will be inspired by the quality and passion of these young maritime professionals.

The EPA finalized and released the 2023 RFS update on June 21, 2023. The updated ruling increased renewable volume obligations for cellulosic biofuel to 0.84 billion gallons in 2023, 1.09 billion gallons in 2024 and 1.38 billion gallons in 2025. The increased obligations are expected to continue driving RNG production forward and enabling greater development of the turnkey renewable energy. Consistent with the indication in May 2023, the eRIN program has been delayed.

We now turn to impact the programme has on GHG reduction targets and expectations for the future.

Big data, optimization, automation, remote operations, efficiency are all terms which have moved beyond hype and are the centre of all future strategies, as well as the key to performance at all levels of an operation. Technology has transformed our society, economy and our psyches in deep and irreversible ways and the process will only continue. With this in mind, and given that technology is the backbone of the mechanism which will eventually lead the industry to achieving its goals, we turn our attention to:

• New Learning Ecosystem
• Supporting Self-directed Learning
• Learning in the Flow of Work

Clean technologies and next-generation fuels will play a key role in shaping the transformation of the energy industry and supporting the decarbonization of all sectors of the economy. But as the energy system transitions towards decarbonization, it is becoming more complex and more interconnected with repercussions for business, operations and certainly, for seafarers.

In this panel we discuss three key areas which will be impacted by energy transition and in what ways:

• The role - current and potential of crew in achieving energy efficiencies
• Ramping up - the horizon of change and planning needed
• Checking our blind spot

The focus of this discussion is one of the most successful pieces of environmental legislation. OPA 90 – A review of 35 years of successes, challenges, and views of the future in the maritime sector.

Topics will include:

• Nearly 35 Years of practice: What has worked and where is there room for improvement?
• The merits of the Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) to national preparedness and preservation of the marine environment. And the critical need for vessel and facility plan holders to volunteer as PREP Area Exercise participants. A critical partnership and how best to continue its success.
• Examining Risks Associated with Future Fuels, offshore platforms, including wind and energy production facilities.
• Salvage and Marine Firefighting, lessons from recent incidents, and what the USCG, Response, Insurance and owning and operating communities need to know
• The risks associated with the transportation of lithium-ion batteries.
• Developing planning criteria suitable for operating areas where response capability is currently inadequate, what is being done, what can industry do to assist.
• Legal, insurance and communications priorities and issues from responder immunity to compliance, with mass casualty tragedies