Leaders for Sustainable Shipping
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Germany’s 10th National Maritime Conference in Hamburg (4 April), which focused on issues including sustainable growth and the importance of new technologies for the future of the shipping industry.
Addressing Chancellor Merkel, the Mayor of Hamburg, German Government ministers and other stakeholders in his keynote speech, Lim emphasized that shipping, supported by IMO’s global regulatory regime, will be central to sustainable global development and growth in the future.
He said that Germany provides ample proof that maritime activity can both drive and support a growing national and global economy, and that efforts to promote investment, growth and improvement in the maritime sectors can have benefits that reach far beyond shipping itself.
Speaking about digitization in the industry, both leaders emphasized that new technologies will be key to efficiency in the maritime sector and protection of the environment. Mr. Lim said that “with opportunities afforded by new technology, shipping is, potentially, on the brink of a new era”.
In her remarks on the marine environment, Chancellor Merkel thanked IMO and the Secretary-General for agreeing a roadmap for the reduction of GHG emissions from ships and welcomed IMO’s work to protect the marine environment from micro plastics in particular.
