Demands for more ambitious climate action and greater social responsibility of companies are growing. The Global Maritime Forum will bring together leaders from across the maritime ecosystem and beyond to accelerate tangible cross-sector action towards these goals. Taking place on 27-28 October 2021, the Annual Summit will set the stage for two days of collaborative discussions on the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the maritime sector today and in the future.

“The landscape has changed significantly since the last Annual Summit and I’m looking forward to welcoming decision-makers from around the world to London this October to celebrate the industry and map out the future of Maritime,” said Robert Courts, Maritime Minister, United Kingdom.

He added: “With COP26 around the corner, I’m keen to see a clear message from industry that they are ready to work in partnership with governments to achieve the targets set out in the Paris Agreement.”

The decarbonization of seaborne trade will be a central topic of discussion at the London meeting. Participants will engage with their peers to ramp up climate ambition and address key questions, including the role of regulation in enabling the transition to zero emission shipping, how to design impactful pilots and demonstration projects to prove the viability and scalability of zero emission vessels and fuels, and how to manage the transition equitably.

“Taking place in the lead up to COP26, the Annual Summit will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss how the maritime sector can step up to the challenge of lowering its GHG emissions and contribute to the world’s efforts to curb the worst impacts of climate change. The meeting will be designed to enable collaborative work towards tangible actions and commitments, in what is the moment of truth for the global fight against climate change,” said Johannah Christensen, CEO, Global Maritime Forum.

Drawing on learnings from the crew change crisis, participants will seek ways to ensure that the human rights of seafarers, as well as their physical and mental wellbeing, are protected. This is key to the long-term stability of global value chains, which seafarers continually support and enable. Discussions will also focus on how to increase inclusion and diversity in the sector to retain and attract the best talent.

Challenges and opportunities linked to the maritime sector’s ESG performance will be a third focus of discussions. Participants will explore how the sector can respond to demands for greater transparency and environmental, social and governance responsibility – emanating from governments, customers, investors and the public – in order to retain its license to operate in the future.

The Global Maritime Forum is monitoring the Covid-19 situation closely and working to ensure the meeting will be conducted safely and in accordance with all relevant precautions and restrictions.

Participation in the meeting is by invitation only. Select sessions of the meeting will be open to the press and livestreamed.