The theme for this year’s World Maritime Day is ‘New Technologies for Greener Shipping’, and the timing couldn’t be more appropriate for the launch of a specialist in the sphere of sustainability called Grow Maritime.

As a subsidiary of Cyprus-based sustainability advisors ‘Grow Sustainability Consulting’ and the Greek shipping consultants ‘Alpha Marine Consulting’, Grow Maritime has the mission to assist shipping companies in improving their performance through the development and implementation of impactful ESG strategies. The company will be helping them add value to both the organisation itself and also the planet and society at large.

This World Maritime Day’s key question comes as maritime organisations face ever increasing pressure from charterers, employees, regulatory bodies, shareholders and other relevant stakeholders to be sustainable and responsible. Grow Maritime aims to answer World Maritime Day’s question of how greener shipping can be achieved. It is no longer the case that value is defined purely in financial terms but it is now measured additionally by positive environmental and societal impact.

Grow Maritime helps shipping companies address their ESG challenges including company performance and culture change during ESG times, climate (energy consumption), seafarer welfare and  geopolitical instability The company’s vision is to sustainably shape the future of the sector by assisting companies to become resilient to future challenges through a wide spectrum of sustainability services from the development of an ESG strategy to the measurement and comprehensive reporting of ESG performance. Using its proprietary tool to analyse and rate an organisation’s sustainable practices, Grow Maritime is able to assess sustainability readiness, identify gaps as well as opportunities, and develop appropriate responses to key challenges.

Labros Digonis, Grow Maritime’s Managing Director, said: “We are passionate about tackling the challenges facing the shipping industry today – we know that no single individual or organisation can do it alone but we have the sustainability skills and experience to guide a company towards a more sustainable future. We will be partnering with purpose driven shipping companies that are united in their desire to improve their performance and deliver positive change.”

Just as important as implementing a robust sustainability strategy is the ability to share the journey with stakeholders and involve them accordingly. Grow Maritime can help clients define the Key Performance Indicators that will ensure that performance can be measured and used to communicate successes while simultaneously informing areas for future priority.

Labros Digonis concludes: “By combining a wealth of knowledge and expertise in sustainable development with a deep understanding of the shipping and maritime sector we are able to provide a unique service that can bring ESG goals to fruition. Working with companies committed to a sustainable future, we will be able to make a significant impact on Maritime’s green journey.”