On November 3rd, the Thematic Session of 2021 North Bund Forum: Decarbonizing Shipping and Ports was held in Shanghai. The session was jointly co-organized by Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, SMU and MTCC Asia. With the theme of Holistic Solutions to Support a Green Transition of International Shipping, the forum has attracted nearly 200 representatives from 15 countries and regions.
Ms. Li Guanyu, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Yang Xinzhai, Deputy Director General of the China Maritime Safety Administration, Mr. Zhou Ya, Deputy Secretary-General and Director of the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Mr. Huang Tianbing, Deputy Director of the Marine Environment Division of the IMO, Mr. Andreas Nordseths, Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority, Ms. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of the World Maritime University, attended the conference online or offline. Mr. Song Baoru, Secretary of CPC SMU Committee, attended the forum and delivered a keynote speech. Prof. Shi Xin, Vice President of SMU, presided over the forum.
Ms. Li Guanyu congratulated the forum on behalf of the Ministry of Transport. She said that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the emission reduction of the shipping industry, puts forward the goals of carbon neutrality and peak carbon dioxide emissions, and takes specific measures to actively promote it. It is expected that all parties could jointly explore solutions to global challenges in the context of global climate governance.
On behalf of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, Mr. Zhou Ya pointed out that Shanghai will continue to adhere to the philosophy of green and sustainable development, conform to the trend of energy diversification and low carbon, and contribute wisdom to promoting the green and low-carbon development of the shipping industry, thus enhancing the achievement of the climate emission reduction goals.
Mr. Huang Tianbing introduced the latest policies and regulations of the IMO on GHG emission reduction. “IMO's role is to act as the global forum to bring stakeholders together, taking into account the different concerns, priorities and needs of Member States, the industry and relevant stakeholders. The decarbonization of shipping needs to be inclusive, bringing everyone on board”, he said.
Mr. Song Baoru delivered a keynote speech entitled “Strengthening Global Synergy and Innovative Cooperation to Promote Green Transformation of Shipping”. He pointed out that the MTCC Asia hosted by SMU, under the guidance of IMO, has completed a series of meaningful work in transferring the achievements of ship energy efficiency technology, promoting innovative maritime technology applications, and enhancing the capacity-building of maritime personnel in Asian countries. He said SMU is willing to take joint efforts with the global shipping community to build a green, low-carbon and better future.
The thematic session has two panel discussions, namely, the Global Green Shipping Forum and the Sixth Pacific Rim Port Clean Air Collaborative Organization Meeting.
