With a growing awareness of climate change and damage to the world’s ecosystems, individuals and marine industries are making changes to help protect the environment. The maritime industry is expansive and diverse and impacts the environment. It is essential for sustainable ship management practices to be adopted if the marine industry is to help the climate crisis. With an ever-increasing pressure on the industry, proactive steps towards sustainability are vital in the maritime sector.
What is Ship Management?
Ship management involves the operation and running sea-vessels, a service provided by specialist ship management companies. Ship management can be undertaken on behalf of either a maritime organisation which owns a fleet of vessels, or a private owner. These services provide solutions for safer and more reliable sea travel.
A ship management company will handle everything from a vessel’s maintenance and repair, to hiring crew and arranging legal requirements specific to the ports the ship will arrive in. Every year, the maritime industry transports 90% of global imports and exports, making it one of the world’s leading sectors.
Ship management companies are essential in overseeing all services related to a vessel, including the secure and safe transportation of important cargo. In the future, the industry plays an essential role in sustainable practices to protect the world’s oceans and marine ecosystems.
Understanding Sustainable Ship Management
The maritime industry is experiencing pressure to adapt and evolve to become more sustainable. Due to the widespread human impact on the ocean and environment, there is a growing awareness of how important sustainability is going forward. Both individuals and the maritime industry must make improvements to help protect the environment.
Many vessel owners and operators are now looking to ship management companies to offer more sustainable solutions to meet the growing demands of our modern world. Essentially, the maritime industry must play a role in sustainability if we are to protect the planet’s future.
The marine industry has relied heavily on fossil fuels, which is known to damage the environment. Both vessel owners and customers onboard their ships are becoming more conscious of where resources come from. Ship management companies are in an excellent position to lead the way in sustainable practices and inspire other businesses to look to them for inspiration.
Ship management practices influence air and water pollution, cause greenhouse gas emissions and even oil spills. The global effects of these challenges are vast – causing harm to both animal and human life. Creating and adopting more sustainable ship management practices across the industry will help avoid the damage in the first place. Taking steps towards sustainable practices can result in long-term cost savings due to fuel-efficiency and reduced maintenance.
With a growing awareness of environmental issues, businesses need to be adapting to sustainable practices and implementing sustainable solutions. We live in an environmentally conscious world, and to comply with the growing changes in industry regulations, ship management needs to adopt sustainable practices.
How Ship Management Companies Can Support Sustainability
Reducing CO2 Emissions
The maritime industry relies heavily on fossil fuels, which is a major cause of climate change. The shipping industry currently produces 2-3% of global CO2 emissions. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) sets targets to halve carbon emissions by 2050. The aim is to eliminate carbon emissions in the long run. Decarbonization is a complex and pressing challenge for the maritime industry. Energy-efficient technologies like hull optimization can enhance energy efficiency on ships and reduce fuel consumption. This results in lower CO2 emissions and reduces operational costs.
The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping is a non-profit independent research centre, working across the energy and shipping sectors. Working with partners, the center explores pathways to decarbonization, and supports implementing more sustainable practices in the shipping industry. Using new technologies, the center is accelerating the transition to zero-carbon shipping across the maritime industry.
Planning and Efficiency
Expert planning and preparation are the reasons for the current sustainability success stories in the maritime industry. Professional planning reduces unnecessary spending and consumption and diminishes potential issues that can hurt the environment.
Many ship management companies provide a digital dashboard showing data and reports. Owners and operators can then make informed choices based on all aspects of the vessel’s productivity. They can also plan for service and maintenance, helping to avoid disruption to ship operations. These analytics tools can help ship owners manage their business more effectively.
Waste Management and Recycling
Proper waste management on ships is vital to prevent marine pollution and protect marine life. Eliminating the use of single-use plastics is one step towards more sustainable practices onboard ships. Where waste is created, recycling is the next step to limit the amount of waste entering the world’s oceans and on land. Recycling initiatives for materials such as plastic and metals can help support the maritime industry’s efforts towards a more sustainable future.
Conclusion
It is essential for ship management companies to adopt sustainable practices if the maritime industry is to help the climate emergency. Effective tools and solutions such as digital dashboards and decarbonization are vital steps forward if the maritime industry is to reach the 2050 targets set out by the IMO.
Ship management services will have a wide-reaching effect on the overall impact of climate change. As business practices onboard ships have an influence on the world’s oceans and marine life, it is essential to make changes and adopt sustainable solutions.
The maritime industry has the opportunity to pave the way for the future of sustainability and inspire other businesses in the industry to make necessary changes. Forward-thinking customers are looking for more environmentally sound businesses to work with for all their shipping needs. By adopting sustainable ship management practices, ship owners support the environment and the industry.
