Clarity, stability, and certainty make up the backbone of a strategy for sustainable shipping and environmental security, Mr Costas Iacovou, permanent secretary, Shipping Deputy Ministry, Republic of Cyprus told delegates of Digital Ship’s Vessel Performance Optimisation forum in Cyprus last week.
In his keynote speech, the permanent secretary said that in order to achieve a safe and environmentally responsible industry, a vision shared by both regulators and industry members, a clear set of goals and a strong maritime cluster to support these goals are essential. Mr Iacovou warned that the path towards achieving safer, greener, and smarter shipping will always be trickier than expected, therefore it is vital for regulators and industry members to share responsibility and be adaptable to a changing landscape.
Mr Iacovou believes that a strong maritime cluster that invests in pure talent, education, innovation, and technology, as well as excellence in service is a good starting point. Since the inception of Cyprus’ dedicated Shipping Deputy Ministry one year ago, Mr Iacovou says that the ministry has covered a fair bit of ground in safe and low-carbon shipping, and particularly in training and educating those working in maritime, with a continued vision to grow a strong maritime cluster, covering the full range of maritime activities and expertise. In just a few years, the island country has seen a significant growth in maritime education, with 300 students now enrolled in courses , programs, or scholarships to further their maritime and shipping knowledge. The Shipping Deputy Ministry hopes that by encouraging young generations to become involved in Cyprus’ maritime community, it will continue to grow its cluster that will serve as a backbone for sustainable and efficient maritime and shipping operations.
On the environmental front, Mr Iacovou sees many issues that still need to be tackled by the international shipping industry and a lot of work that must be done. In particular, there remains a lot of uncertainty around fuel availability and compatibility of 0.5 per cent sulphur fuel blends in 2020 when the IMO’s sulphur cap will enter into force. From the significant reduction of permitted sulphur emissions from 3.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent next year, to the IMO’s 2050 target of achieving at least a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with 2008 levels, to ballast water management and ship recycling, there are a lot of uncertainties around the safe decarbonisation of shipping. Mr Iacovou says every member of the shipping and maritime communities, whether shipping organisations, flag states, technology companies, has a role to play to help reduce uncertainty and create a more stable environment to achieve these environmental targets. He believes that quick response, proactivity, and an open mind are necessary skills, while collaboration and knowledge sharing are vital steps to meeting ambitious goals and creating a safe operational environment. The industry is in a constant flux, and it is only by erasing and utilising these changes that competition will arise and legislation based on international best practises for safer and more efficient shipping will be enforced, confirms Mr Iacovou.
According to Mr Iacovou, Cyprus is striving to deliver competitive services by digitalising its records, upgrading its policies and procedures to ensure maximum efficiency, and plans to submit a new paper to MEPC later this year to introduce short-term measures for the reduction of CO2 emissions. To further its competitiveness, Cyprus will focus on facilitating international cooperation to build a dynamic and forward-looking global maritime team. Mr Iacovou urges each maritime nation to participate in discussions and papers, build relationships and trust between public and private sectors via open communication to further enhance the safety and sustainability of international shipping going forward. He is certain that trust, cooperation, clarity, and in turn stability and certainty, are the building blocks to sustainable international trade.
