Some of the biggest names in shipping today, including Maersk, called on the industry to take far-reaching action to create a maritime sector which is socially and environmentally responsible and profitable, according to Exim News Service.
Members of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative, a global coalition drawn from across the sector, launched a Case for Action analysing the global trends which will shape the future of shipping and announced: "Our goal is to transform the global shipping industry and the wider maritime sector, establishing a new, sustainable approach as the norm."
They called on industry leaders to:
* Create a shared vision of how the industry should develop over the next 30 years; prepare for greater scrutiny and demands from customers and society with regard to social and environmental performance;
* Build and convert ships to the highest standards of energy efficiency in anticipation of high and volatile fuel prices and demands for low-carbon performance;
* Drive the development of coordinated, progressive legislation that rewards sustainability;
* Develop innovative business models that encourage long-term investment and take into account social and environmental obligations.
Mr Soren Stig Nielsen, Head of Sustainability, Maersk Line, said: "By creating a shared vision for sustainable growth, we can plot a new ambitious course. A course where shipping is viewed as a key enabler of responsible and sustainable economic development."
The Sustainable Shipping Initiative brings together leaders from across the maritime sector with Forum for the Future and WWF. Its members are ship owners and charterers BP Shipping, Cargill, Gearbulk, IMC, Maersk Line, Morgan Stanley, Rio Tinto Marine and Tsakos Energy Navigation ; shipbuilders, engineers and service providers Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering and Wartsila; ABN Amro bank; RSA insurance; and the classification society Lloyd's Register.