The Baltic Exchange proudly co-hosted the 8th Global Shipbrokers Forum in Piraeus, Greece, in late June with the Hellenic Shipbrokers Association in an event that discussed a number of topics affecting the global maritime industry including environmental regulations and the impact of global sanctions.

Ship owners, managers, charterers, shippers, agents, insurers, brokers, shipbuilders, port officials, bunker suppliers, service and equipment providers, and sales brokers met for the two-day event to exchange views, strengthen existing collaborations and expand into new professional horizons.

The forum opened with a welcome speech by John Cotzias, President of HSA, and the opening panel featured a number of prolific speakers, including Baltic Exchange CEO Mark Jackson; Charalambos Fafalios, Chairman of the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee; Angelos Pantouvakis, Dean of the School of Maritime and Industry Director at the University of Piraeus; and George Pateras, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping.

Environmental regulations topped the agenda at the event, which was held under the tagline ‘Constant Challenges and Adaptive Industry’. With the International Maritime Organization recently revising its long-term greenhouse gas emission strategy, panelists discussed the pace, adequacy and expediency of such environmental targets.

Speaking on the subject of greener fuels, such as ammonia and methanol, Mark Jackson pushed back against any scepticism about their use.

“There has to be aspiration. There has to be those idiots that go out and be the first movers and spend all this money for anything to change,” he told the forum.

Following the two-day event, which also focused on dry bulk and tanker shipping, a fantastic gala dinner was held at the Peace & Friendship Stadium in Piraeus, which featured industry speakers and live music.

You can watch the entire forum to hear more about the issues discussed here. In addition, Maritimes TV held a number of interviews with some of the main speakers, including those from the Baltic Exchange. You can watch that video here.

There are also a number of galleries of images from the two-day forum available to view here: Forum, Gala Dinner #1, Gala Dinner #2

Source: Baltic Exchange