Maritime industry leaders came together to discuss the latest advances in sustainability and digital classification, regulatory developments and market trends at the annual ABS Greater China National Committee Meeting.
“ABS is pioneering new sustainability strategies and services to support our clients and members through their decarbonization journey. As a leader in classification in Greater China, our committee includes the diverse expertise of many knowledgeable stakeholders, which is a powerful resource to focus on regulatory and technological challenges,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO.
During the meeting, ABS delivered a strong report card of ABS fleet safety performance underscoring ABS’ focus on safety and its mission. The members heard how the ABS-classed fleet had grown to 277 million gross tons and secured the number one position in global orderbook share.
“Decarbonization and digitalization contain not only great business opportunities but also technical challenges and their development requires close collaboration by the entire industry chain,” said Captain Xie, Chun-Lin, ABS Greater China National Committee Chairman and China Merchants Energy Shipping Co., Ltd. Chairman and CEO. “I’m glad that our committee meeting addressed some of the greatest topics of concern for the industry. I believe that these insights that we shared during the meeting will assist our industry to tackle the challenges and shape the future.”
Committee members were briefed on the latest developments in the dynamic regulatory environment and given a detailed breakdown of the industry’s sustainability challenges and ABS’ services for the industry. ABS also moderated a panel discussion covering such topics as shipping decarbonization, digitalization, carbon economics, shipping finance and overall market conditions. Panel speakers included representatives from COSCO Shipping Shanghai Ship and Shipping Research Institute Co., Ltd., China Merchants Energy Shipping Co., Ltd., Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd., China Merchants Commerce Financial Leasing Co., Ltd., and SUMEC Ocean Transportation Pte. Ltd.
They were given a glimpse of current market trends and the future of classification, with presentations on the latest ABS technology advancements and pioneering developments in the field of digital class along with how ABS is advancing its industry-leading approach to continuous learning and development to prepare its workforce now and for the future.
The Committee meetings are a forum for ABS members, including owners, operators, charterers, and industry representatives from flag Administrations, owner associations, and the shipbuilding and insurance sectors, to come together with ABS leaders and discuss industry issues and developments. These forums are an important part of an ongoing dialogue with the industry to address technical, operational and regulatory challenges.
