Shipping is the critical enabler in the world’s transition to low carbon operations and needs Government support to ensure it is at the front of the queue for next-generation fuels.

That was the message from ABS Chairman, President and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki to delegates at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP26.

“Governments will have a pretty significant role in this, but shipping is going to be the critical enabler. It is going to be shipping that will move the next generation of fuels from the centers of production to distribution hubs around the world. Governments need to prioritize shipping. It is not the second show, it should be the main show,” said Wiernicki at the International Chamber of Shipping’s event Shaping the Future of Shipping.

Wiernicki also took part in the World Climate Summit event, speaking on a panel titled Accelerating the Green Transition and Technologies through Partnerships – Best Practices from the Shipping Sector alongside representatives from Maersk, International Maritime Organization and Kuehne + Nagel.

“The real future fuel will be a mixture of leadership and cooperation. This is a ‘we’ game, where success is a team sport. No one organization, no individual company, has the resources to meet this challenge alone.  We will need to work together, pool our resources, experience, and knowledge if we are to achieve our sustainability ambitions,” he said.

ABS, Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering also announced two landmark joint development projects (JDPs) during COP26 to develop decarbonization technologies to support global sustainability ambitions. The JDPs address green hydrogen production and offshore carbon capture and storage.