Posted on October 21, 2024
Antwerp will host the Global Maritime Forum Annual Summit 2025, it was announced in Tokyo this week. The city was chosen due to its central role in European shipping, the continent’s second largest port complex, and proximity to Brussels, home to key European institutions.
TOKYO – Over 200 executives from the shipping, energy, and financial sectors joined port leaders and policymakers in Tokyo this week to advance shipping’s decarbonisaton and work toward a new standard for seafarer well-being.
“Going by what many attendees told me, this year’s Annual Summit was incredibly successful. We broadened the conversation to a wider group of organisations and expanded our community of action,” said Global Maritime Forum CEO Johannah Christensen. “The more perspectives we bring in, the better our chances of reaching our collective goals.
The seventh Global Maritime Forum Annual Summit concluded with the announcement that the event, considered by many to be the Davos of the shipping industry, will be held in Antwerp in 2025.
“It’s a privilege to host the Global Maritime Forum next year in the beating heart of maritime Europe. Antwerp can show the world that the shipping industry is making tangible and real progress in the energy transition and digitalisation. We want to actively engage with the EU and African countries to create new partnerships that make global trade better, greener, and stronger,” Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.TECH, said in Tokyo.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges CEO Jacques Vandermeiren also underscored Belgium’s central importance.
“Having the Summit in Antwerp will be a great opportunity to engage on transport, people, and the environment, reinforcing our commitment to pioneering in the energy transition and maritime innovation,” Vandermeiren said.
Change in small steps
The event featured intense debates on the future of the maritime industry, particularly around seafarer well-being, accelerating the sector’s decarbonisation, and strengthening governance and accountability.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told assembled industry leaders that they should be confident that the regulatory body will reach a successful compromise at next year’s meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee.
“The IMO and all its member states continue to be very committed to the goals that were established when we adopted the GHG [Greenhouse Gas] 2023 Strategy last year,” Dominguez said. “The reality is that we continue to be on track to make the required decisions next year, starting with the approval of the technical and economic measures in April and then moving toward the adoption toward the end of the year.”
Two policy themes that emerged at the Summit were bridging the price gap between traditional and green fuels and ensuring a just and equitable transition. While the IMO has made progress in creating a roadmap, it was stressed that the industry cannot remain in wait-and-see mode. Focus must now shift toward viable economic models. Equally important is the need for a long-term, inclusive transition, with priority given to participation from the Global South.
Human sustainability
Conversations around human sustainability centred around efforts to rebuild trust with seafarers.
“One of the key priorities that I have is the human element, in particular the seafarers, and how important and indispensable they are for everyone to be able to receive the goods that we all enjoy around the world,” Dominguez said. “It is not enough to just say that we support seafarers; the industry has to take the necessary actions, particularly in areas where they need protection such as the Red Sea.”
Acknowledging the need to develop universal principles and standards to provide clear guidance on improving crew welfare, the discussions also highlighted the importance of transparency, as poor treatment, inadequate training, and fatigue negatively impact asset quality, increase accidents, and raise costs. While issues around seafarer well-being have advanced in recent years, the industry must further redefine its role in society by engaging communities through ports and learning from sectors like mining that invest locally.
Governance and resilience
Governance also emerged as a key theme, as participants focused on enhancing the industry’s future risk resilience in response to geopolitical challenges, piracy, cyberattacks, and security threats. At the core of these discussions was the need to prioritise the safety of human life and the continued functioning of global trade.
The Tokyo Summit was supported by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, one of the leading maritime companies in Asia.
“At the Tokyo Summit, various complex and challenging issues such as decarbonisation and DEI at land and sea were discussed, and I was truly encouraged by the enthusiastic and interactive discussions among the attendees from around the world and from the Japanese maritime cluster,” said Toshiaki Tanaka, Chief Operating Officer of MOL and member of the Global Maritime Forum Advisory Council. “We are so happy that the Global Maritime Forum Summit in Tokyo went successfully, and we truly look forward to sharing our progress in Antwerp next year.”
