In this conference, organised by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Innovation Norway and the Norwegian Business Association, Singapore (NBA), leading Norwegian maritime companies combined with their Singapore counterparts to discuss the issue of sustainability in the global shipping industry: How to protect the environment and still remain commercially viable? More than 100 specially invited executives and experts in the shipping and maritime industry attended the conference, which was opened by Ambassador Janne Julsrud. Wilhelmsen Martime Services and Det Norske Veritas sponsored the event.
The conference was supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Chief Executive, BG Tay Lim Heng’s presentation explained how the MPA addresses the environmental challenges of shipping and port activities. The participants also heard the shipowners’ perspective through the presentations of Managing Director Sturla Henriksen of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and Capt. Tey Yoh Huat, Vice President – Technical Services of APL Ct. Ptd. Ltd. The clear message was that it can and should pay to go green. Important and ambitious strategies are being developed by shipowners in order to achieve this goal, for instance the zero-emission vision of the The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.
The conference also focused on strategies that are being developed and employed by the maritime industry in order to achieve commercially viable solutions to reduce pollution. DnV explained how it responds to shipowners’ needs in an environmental perspective. The presentations of Kongsberg Maritime, Ulstein Group, Wilhelmsen Maritime Services and Ecospec Global Technology showcased the broad range of existing and emerging technologies in this field.
Concern for the climate and the global environment are high on the agenda of the Norwegian government. As a relatively small country, Norway has had to focus its resources. Four main areas have been chosen where the government feels Norway can make a difference in an international context. These are carbon capture and storage, conservation of rain forrests, developments in the polar regions and – finally - shipping. As one of the five largest shipping nations in the world, this seems like a natural choice.
Copy of slides (pdf-format) presented at the conference can be downloaded from Innovation Norway’s website: www.innovationnorway.no/SMTC2009