President Biden claims to be “viscerally angry” about the container lines who he blames for inflation, soaring freight rates, supply chain congestion and much in between. The political theatre of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act was on show in the US this week, but to help explain what it really means for shipping this week’s Lloyd’s List Podcast features two people who really know what’s going on: Federal Maritime Commissioner chairman Daniel Maffei President and CEO of the World Shipping Council John Butler.

The Lloyd’s List Podcast: Why does President Biden want to punch shipping CEOs?

What does China’s unassailable lead in terms of naval power, the wording of recent US statutes and the adaptability of shipping, all have to do with how a chief financial officer eats their breakfast?

It’s all about how shipping perceives risk and uncertainty right now. 

Uncertainty has dominated the shipping industry in the past months.

But this narrative that shipowners are paralysed by the geopolitical volatility is only part of the story.

The global economy is at a crossroads. We are entering an era of superpower rivalry between the US and China that will fundamentally upend established trading assumptions and fragment shipping down geopolitical lines.

Now, depending on who you are talking to, the response to that uncertainty results in either a barely concealed fist-bump of joy as they mentally run through the profitable opportunities ahead, or near term paralysis as they conclude that there is no value in strategic investment in the face of such unknowable odds.

And that’s because this isn’t just the long -term disintegration of a rules-based order that we are talking about, although that is part of it. 
Near term that uncertainty is created by the fact that it is now security not economics that is driving the bus when it comes to US decision making, and that’s confusing everyone. 

Agility is the new currency for shipping. We have to adapt to all these challenges – shipping’s bullish elite told us.
Volatility is the lifeblood of profitable shipping and certainty has never been a prerequisite for making decisions. So, why complain about exogenous shocks now?

On stage, the message was defiant: shipowners paralysed by the geopolitical swings risk losing out. 

Off stage, their commitment to specific questions of progress and investment was generally more hesitant.
But they still need to make decisions – and that’s the focus of this week’s podcast. 

Joining Richard this week on the podcast are: 

Øystein Tunsjø, Professor of International Relations, Head of Security in Asia Program, Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, Norwegian Defence University College
Brian Maloney, Partner, Seward & Kissel
Annicken Kildahl, CFO, Grieg Maritime Group
Hing Chao, Executive Chairman, Wah Kwong Maritime Transport


Why shipping is sounding more bullish on short- and long-term risk factors

Who are the winners and losers of shipping’s decarbonised regulatory future?

This episode of the Lloyd’s List Podcast was brought to you by Veson. Visit veson.com for more information.

MOST end-of-life ships usually meet their demise on the beaches of the Indian subcontinent or Aliaga in Türkiye, with the ship recycling industry not being known for a culture of safety or environmental consciousness.

But the long-term efforts of NGOs, regulators, flag states, shipowners and the recycling industry have done much to improve things in recent years. This culminated in the landmark Hong Kong Convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships entering into force on June 26 this year.

Lloyd’s List markets editor Rob Willmington spoke to recycling industry stakeholders to find out why the Hong Kong Convention is so significant and what its implementation means for shipowners. At the same time, we asked following three years of negligible ship recycling because of strong shipping markets, when will the sale of old ships finally start to pick up again?

Joining Rob on this week’s episode are:

Anil Sharma, chief executive, GMS

Tone Knudsen Fiskeseth, principal consultant, Environment Advisory, DNV

Nikos Mikelis, chairperson, Ship Recycling Alliance

Hitesh Vyas, vice-president Middle East and green recycling coordinator, Wirana

Is shipping ready for the Hong Kong Convention?

The EU’s two big green regulations on shipping have had many consequences, whether intended or otherwise. But their original purpose was as a threat.

Four years ago the International Maritime Organization had been dragging its feet on agreeing any kind of meaningful limits on CO2 from ships. So Brussels effectively told the regulator: reduce your emissions, or we will.

The European Commission extended its emissions trading system to cover half of emissions from voyages to and from the EU. It also pitched a green fuel standard called FuelEU Maritime, which fines companies unless they phase in greener fuels over time.

The ETS started at the beginning of 2024 and the first credits are due to be handed over by September 30. FuelEU is being phased in too, with its own set of deadlines in the coming years. Shipping has been preparing ever since.

But now the EU could be close to getting its original wish.

A global net zero framework for cutting emissions is on its way from the IMO, though it needs to be formally adopted in October.

So, now we have a global regime on the horizon, shouldn’t Europe fall into line?

The commission has said will consider changing its ways – if it considers the IMO system ambitious enough for the planet. So, what will it do?

Joining Declan on this week's podcast are: 

Magda Kopczyńska, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission 

Simon Bennett, Deputy Secretary General, International Chamber of Shipping

What next for the ETS?

Until fairly recently the government of Malawi were blissfully unaware of the fact that they inadvertently stumbled into a tense political stand-off between Nato and Russia.

Ministers in the landlocked capital Lilongwe were understandably surprised to find that they had been enthusiastically registering sanctioned shadow fleet tankers and fixing them up with new identities.

They were, initially at least, perplexed by questions regarding a fleet of tankers being used to load crude out of the Baltic, then escorted by Russian naval ships and tracked by the combined surveillance capacity of NATO’s forces.

And that’s because they had no idea until Lloyd’s List told them.

In this special two-part podcast, Lloyd’s List editor-in-chief Richard Meade explains how the system of ship registration has corrupted to the point that governments are unable to tell the difference between real and fake ship identities; and looks at what it will take to fix that broken system.

Joining Richard on this week’s episode are: 

Polina Ivanova, foreign correspondent, Financial Times

Christian Panto, independent open-source intelligence analyst



False flags: How to set up a fake ship register and get away with it

WHEN an oil tanker can trade internationally and switch between fictional flags and take on digital identities of ghost ships that were scrapped years ago, there is a problem.

Not a fictional problem. A real life, tangible problem that relates to a real ship performing really dangerous operations with zero accountability and, apparently, no means to stop it.

In the first edition of this podcast, we detailed how a growing black market of fraudulent ship registers, created by linked networks of international scammers have sprung up.

This edition will focus on why these fake flags are just a symptom of a much wider problem.

The system is broken.

Fixing that system, however, is going to require a root-and-branch reappraisal of how we ensure compliance and oversight in global trade, and it’s going to require governments to be genuinely accountable for the ships they flag.

Let’s start with the basics. We know what a fraudulent ship register looks like and what it doesn’t do, but what should a flag be doing? Why does the flag a ship is flying matter?

Joining Richard this week are:

Bridget Diakun, senior risk and compliance analyst, Lloyd’s List

Christian Panto, independent open-source intelligence analyst

Alfonso Castillero, chief executive, Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry

False flags: Why shipping’s registry system is broken and how we fix it

Low Earth orbit connectivity doesn’t occupy the same number of column inches as say Houthi terror in the Red Sea, or the climate regulatory tussles at the IMO, but it has arguably changed shipping just as much, if not more.

Vessels that have long relied on dependable, but relatively slow internet connectivity now have access to the kind of upload and download speeds used to create this very podcast, thanks in no small part to Elon Musk’s Starlink system, which uses its own constellation of satellites.

There’s no doubt this has opened endless doors for both shipowners and seafarers. Data collection and analysis is possible on a scale unimaginable at sea just a decade ago. Crew can now video-call family or stream live sports despite being hundreds of miles from land.

But, in a microcosm of society as a whole, this advent of instant connectivity brings with it negatives too, potentially opening the door to would-be hackers who are starting to see shipping as a rich target.

Joining Joshua on this week’s podcast are:

Daniel Ng, chief executive, CyberOwl

Tore Morten Olsen, president of maritime, Marlink

Ben Palmer, president, Inmarsat Maritime

Wired for success? The double-edged sword of ship connectivity

Every year, Lloyd’s List publishes a list of the world’s Top 100 container ports.

And to mark the release of this year’s ranking, we’re taking a deep dive in this week’s episode to understand the key trends seen across the container sector last year, and work out what the rest of the year has in store.

In a year defined by disruption, the world’s leading container ports still managed to increase their throughput by 8% - a sharp turnaround from some of the sluggish growth we’ve become accustomed to in recent years.

The geopolitical upheaval shipping has had to deal with in the last 18 months has clearly created some winners, as well as some losers that continue to suffer at the hands of Red Sea rerouting and tariff wars.

To download the Lloyd’s List Top 100 Ports report, visit www.lloydslist.com/one-hundred-container-ports-2025, where you can see the full list of rankings as well access the data behind it, including regional and country-level analysis.

Joining Joshua on this week's podcast are: 

Linton Nightingale, deputy editor, Lloyd's List 

Eleanor Hadland, senior ports and terminals analyst, Drewry

The Top 100 Container Ports: 2024’s winners and losers

Shore leave is a fundamental part of life at sea. It has been for centuries.

The modern seafarer can spend up to 11 months on board a vessel during a contract, so getting on to dry land whenever possible can be an important form of rest and recuperation.

But this custom is under threat.

A recent report by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust showed that a quarter of seafarers surveyed said they did not get any shore leave during the entirety of their contract. For those that did manage to get ashore, nearly half said they spend less than three hours ashore.

From visa requirements, a simple lack of time, or even the prohibitive cost of a ride to the port gate, seafarers face many barriers to getting shore when one of the very limited opportunities presents itself.

Can anything be done to halt the extinction process?

Joining Joshua on this week’s podcast are:

Tim Hill, chief executive, Stella Maris

Ben Bailey, director of programme, Mission to Seafarers

Several serving seafarers aboard vessels across the world

Why is shore leave heading for extinction?

THREE hundred years ago, when Lloyd’s List was still a list of ships pinned to a coffee shop wall, London was the epicentre of global trade. 

It was the hub where the shipowning, the insurance, the finance, the technology and the workforce got business done.

And that was the case for centuries. 

But London is not the epicentre of global trade any more – far from it. 

As the shipping industry descends upon the UK capital once again for London International Shipping Week – we ask what shipping needs from a maritime hub.

London is good. But how do we make London great again?

Joining Richard on the podcast this week are: 
Tanuj Luthra, chief operating officer, Zodiac Maritime 
Jos Standerwick, chief executive officer, Maritime London
Gihan Ismail, director, Marine Capital 
Peter Aylott, director of policy, UK Chamber of Shipping 


How do we make London great again?

As London International Shipping Week gets off to a frantic start, Lloyd’s List editor-in-chief Richard Meade and reporter Joshua Minchin bring you their highlights from the first two days of the event.

Richard assesses London’s role in the shipping industry as the week kicks off, and asks what the UK needs to do to stay relevant in an industry that has moved away from it as the centre of gravity it was for centuries.

Joshua reflects on a fascinating session on data sharing held on Tuesday September 16 with a star-studded panel, and comes to the conclusion that actually shipping might not want to share its toys. Can regulators find a big enough stick to make them?

And then there were the nukes. Long-heralded as the potential silver bullet, and dismissed as too expensive and too dangerous, Richard explains why he is optimistic about nuclear power in shipping, but not in the manner you might expect.

Stay tuned for our daily roundup every day of London International Shipping week – but don’t forget you can listen to every episode ever of the Lloyd’s List podcast on Soundcloud, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, as well as the Lloyd’s List app.

The LISW Daily: Nukes, London vibes and why shipping doesn’t like sharing

Day three of London International Shipping Week sees the circus descend on the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization, which is playing host to the week’s headline conference.

Lloyd’s List editor-in-chief Richard Meade, who moderated a session on decarbonisation, and senior reporters Joshua Minchin and Declan Bush were joined by Cargill Ocean Transportation president and chair of the Global Maritime Forum Jan Dieleman to reflect on the day’s discussions and ask whether next month’s crucial Net-Zero Framework vote would go through.

Plus, Joshua asks whether shipping is suitably reassured by the several, passionate promises by military leaders this week that their forces are determined to protect shipping.

The LISW Daily: Net zero and navies

Does shipping whinge too much? That’s the question Lloyd’s List senior reporter Joshua Minchin is asking on this edition of the daily reaction from London International Shipping Week, joined by editor-in-chief Richard Meade, APAC editor Cichen Shen, and senior risk and compliance analyst Bridget Diakun.

Governments around the world, but particularly in the UK, are often criticised for being uninformed and unenthusiastic about the maritime industry.

But former shipping minister and Core Power vice-president Baroness Vere argues the shipping industry doesn’t sell itself in the right way, and instead comes to politicians with complaints, rather than solutions.

Elsewhere, Cichen reflects on conversations he’s had with the Cosco delegation in London this week, while Bridget explains why there is a feeling of helplessness surrounding the shadow fleet in the industry at the moment.

 



The LISW Daily: Is shipping too moany?

On the final day of London International Shipping Week, Lloyd’s List reporter Joshua Minchin brings you the key takeaways from the week, alongside senior maritime reporter Greg Miller, maritime risk analyst Tomer Raanan and senior reporter Declan Bush. 

The three ask whether shipping could suffer from too much inefficiency, or at least the wrong kind anyway, and reflect on the policy uncertainty coming out of Washington at present. 

Plus, Declan offers his final take of the week on how the net zero framework will fare at next month’s extraordinary MEPC meeting. Will the US’ threats make any material difference at all? 


LISW The LISW Daily: How much inefficiency is too much inefficiency?

Why is the shadow fleet growing? Why do Chinese owners continue to sail their vessels through the Red Sea? And what happens if the International Maritime Organization does not adopt the Net-Zero Framework next month?

In an age where uncertainty is simply part of doing business, Lloyd’s List gathered some of its expert analysts and journalists to brief selected guests on the key issues of the day during London International Shipping Week.

Listen to the highlights of the event in this edition of the Lloyd’s List podcast. If you want to learn more, you can download the slides produced by our expert panel, featuring Lloyd’s List Intelligence data and figures.

Featuring on this episode are:

Richard Meade, editor-in-chief, Lloyd’s List 

Bridget Diakun, senior maritime risk analyst, Lloyd’s List 

Cichen Shen, APAC editor, Lloyd’s List 

Declan Bush, senior reporter, Lloyd’s List

How to navigate risk amid uncertainty

Singapore literally would not exist without the shipping industry. In 1819 the East India Company reached agreement with the local ruler to use it as a waystation for vessels carrying opium to China. Five years later, it bought the entire country for cash.

Two hundred years later, it would not be much of a stretch to describe it as a powerhouse port with a small southeast Asian city-state attached.

But until last month, the International Union of Marine Insurance conference had not taken place there since 2004.

Even then, Singapore’s standing in the maritime industries was undeniable. But at that point it remained an emerging market in marine insurance terms.

As the 600-plus delegates who assembled for this year’s event were told, that is clearly no longer the case.

It is now the fourth-largest hull market in the world. Its share of the global hull book now stands at 7.9%, leaving it just a fraction of a percentage point behind the once-almighty Lloyd’s.

Nor is it the only Asian nation to see its marine insurance presence take a great leap forward. China is now writing around 12% of world hull premiums and must now be counted as a core market for H&M.

It also writes 17% of cargo business, which is more than Lloyd’s and the London companies markets put together.

The late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping - who died in 1997 - argued that the twenty-first century would be the Asian century. If marine insurance is anything to go by, he may have had a point.

Joining David on the podcast are:
Veith Huesmann, chief analyst, IUMI 
Sean Dalton, head of marine underwriting North America, Munich Re 
Alicia Leong, head of marine liabilities Asia, Markel
Jun Lin, vice president, Gard 


IUMI Singapore: is marine insurance entering its Asian century?

FIGURES from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime suggest the annual global value of laundered money is between $800bn and $2trn, representing between 2% and 5% of global GDP.

Much of this money is cleaned through trade-based money laundering, where criminals disguise the proceeds of crime through trade transactions to legitimise their origin.

When that money hits a bank account, its links to say a smuggling ring or drug cartel will be masked, and anyone that looks will instead be presented with a legitimate transaction, say for the sale of commodities.

With 90% of global trade transported by sea, shipping companies find themselves in an unwanted position of vulnerability.

It’s of course impossible to check every container and grain hold, but due diligence still has to be performed.

If not, the consequences can be severe, from a loss of reputation to even legal ramifications.

Trade-based money laundering

This episode of the Lloyd's List Podcast was brought to you by Veson. Visit veson.com for more information.

In just over a week’s time the International maritime Organization will take what could be one of the most consequential votes shipping’s history. 

At an extraordinary meeting of the Marine Environment protection Committee, IMO member states will vote on whether to formally adopt the net zero framework agreed at MEPC83 in April. 

A yes would see shipping adopt the world’s first legally binding carbon price. 

A no would undo years and years and work and dump the industry back where it started. 

Lloyd’s List senior reporter Declan Bush explains what will actually be voted on next weekand outlines the consequences of a yes vote, and perhaps more pertinently, what happens if the answer is no.


Everything you need to know ahead of MEPC

In this podcast, Veson Nautical’s Chief Operating Officer Sean Riley shares his thoughts on current pressures on market volatility. It is not necessarily a bad thing, he says, especially if data is used properly to understand its causes and effects

Dealing with freight rate volatility in today’s markets

IN THIS episode of the Lloyd’s List podcast, Synergy chief executive Jesper Kristensen considers two significant and timely questions: where is maritime leadership heading and who will define it?

He tackles them from both an individual and an industry standpoint before discussing whether attitudes outside shipping are now influencing the sector’s direction.

In the current climate of global regulatory and trade changes, the shipping industry is extremely volatile, requiring its leaders to be rapid adapters; “we need to be capable of accepting that tomorrow is most probably not going to be like yesterday”, he says in this podcast.

Maritime leadership’s direction and influence come under review

IN today’s episode, we're diving into one of the most significant transformations in modern shipping: how geopolitical tensions and supply chain realignments are altering maritime trade routes.

From the implementation of tit-for-tat port fees between the US and China to the rise of Southeast Asia as a manufacturing powerhouse, the shipping industry is navigating uncharted waters. Today, we'll hear from three industry leaders who are at the forefront of these changes.

In an era where regulations increasingly link vessel nationality to cargo access, shipping’s hard‑won resilience is being tested as never before.

But for those who can successfully navigate these changes, the question isn't whether they're temporary or permanent—it's whether they can adapt fast enough to turn chaos into opportunity.

Joining APAC editor Cichen Shen on the podcast are:

SK Lim, managing director Pacific, G2 Ocean

Jayendu Krishna, head of Maritime Advisory, Drewry

William Khoury, vice president of ports and terminals Southeast Asia, DP World 

How port fees and tariffs are redrawing maritime maps

This episode of the Lloyd’s List Podcast was brought to you by Veson. Visit veson.com for more information.

Arguably the most important week in the history of the International Maritime Organization ended in stalemate after an extraordinary meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee voted to adjourn proceedings for a whole year.

Last week was supposed to be the week shipping ratified the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework and in doing so become the first industry to adopt a global carbon price.

Despite confidence that the yes side “had the numbers”, efforts to thwart the framework by the US and Saudi Arabia were partially successful.

Lloyd’s List senior reporter and decarbonisation expert Declan Bush takes you inside the IMO and details a turbulent four days that could define the UN body and its ability to lead on climate change.

 


Inside the IMO: How the Net-Zero Framework was thwarted… for now

One week on from the extraordinary meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee at the IMO, and many in shipping are still asking themselves the same question: what on earth happens next?

Here at Lloyd’s List we’ve been busy gathering the thoughts of as many people as possible from across the sector to help answer that question.

Earlier this week, Declan Bush explained what actually went down on a crazy Friday afternoon last week at the Albert Embankment, giving a blow by blow account of how the US and Saudi Arabia were able to successfully postpone the vote on the Net-Zero Framework for an entire year.

But now we’re looking at what comes next. Can the IMO come back around the table next year and get consensus on the world’s first carbon price? Or are the divisions simply too great to heal?

Joining Joshua on the podcast are:

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general, International Maritime Organization (IMO) 

Tristan Smith, professor of energy and transport, UCL

Emma Scheiris, deputy director of environment, INTERTANKO 

Stuart Neil, director of strategy and communications, International Chamber of Shipping

For more information on how Lloyd's List Intelligence can help you navigate the emissions reporting landscape, follow this link: https://www.lloydslistintelligence.com/products/seasearcher/emissions

MEPC83: What on earth happens next? With Arsenio Dominguez

This episode of the Lloyd's List Podcast was brought to you by Veson. Visit veson.com for more information.

SHIPPING has a serious efficiency problem.

There is the obvious uncertainty and chaos within the International Maritime Organization-led decarbonisation plans.

But this is not just a carbon efficiency problem — the current direction of geopolitical drivers generally are making shipping, and global trade, significantly less efficient.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s latest tit-for-tat trade showdown is just the latest in a long list of frictional forces making seaborne trade more costly, more complicated and less efficient.

Shipping’s efficiency conundrum is getting harder to solve

WHAT happens if you don’t buy cyber risk insurance? Well, Jaguar Land Rover certainly found out earlier this year.

The luxury carmaker was hit by a devastating cyber attack in late August, causing it to shut down its production lines for more than four weeks and costing it £50m a week. It only got things back to normal in early October.

It was initially forced to withhold payments from suppliers. That is no small matter, given that the automotive parts supply chain, which famously runs on the just-in-time model, supports 200,000 jobs in the UK.

It even had to turn to its bankers to secure a £2bn funding facility, which won’t have come cheap.

On top of all that, the government saw no choice but to step in with a £1.5bn credit guarantee, simply to avoid the potential economic fallout.

Other recent victims of cyber crime include Heathrow Airport and high street retailers Marks & Spencer and the Co-op.

Many big players in the maritime industries have also been on the receiving end, from boxship giants Maersk, MSC and CMA CGM to ports giant DP World and top broker Clarksons.

A recent report from IBM, which examined data breaches experienced by about 600 organisations worldwide, put the average cost of an incident at $4.4m (or £3.3m).

What is clear is that cyber risk is a growing threat, as hackers becoming increasingly more sophisticated.

This special joint Insurance Day/Lloyd’s List podcast will look at how insurance can at least mitigate the worst impacts for companies in both the maritime and wider business sectors.

Joining Insurance Day reporter Queenie Shaikh are:

Robert Dorey, chief executive, Astaara

William Altman, director, CyberCube

Stephen Wares, head of international underwriting, Coalition

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No cyber risk insurance? Fool around and find out

OVER the past few months, our team of analysts has been quietly at work, giving our shadow fleet* watchlist a huge revamp.

For those not in the know, the list identifies vessels that fit a specified set of criteria making them likely candidates for the shadow fleets serving Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

As the sanction campaigns from the UK, US and EU intensify, the behaviour and identifying characteristics of these vessels has changed — telltale giveaways in 2023 are not the same in 2025 at all.

With that in mind, we thought we’d bring on our two in-house shadow fleet experts to explain what’s changed and why you should take notice.

Lloyd’s List reporter Joshua Minchin sat down with Lloyd’s List senior risk and compliance analyst Bridget Diakun and maritime risk analyst Tomer Raanan to understand how things have changed.

Subscribe to Lloyd’s List here, or learn more about Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

The evolution of the shadow fleet

TALK long enough about green shipping scenarios and sooner or later all roads lead to Africa. Africa’s renewable energy potential, particularly in solar and wind, is vast and largely untapped, which explains why green energy investment in Africa is booming.

Imports of solar panels, largely from China, are up 60% in the past 12 months alone. While that is from a relatively low base, the investments are coming thick and fast when it comes to clean fuel production.

Given the collapse of the Net-Zero Framework at the International Maritime Organization and the context of a somewhat lacklustre COP out in Brazil, you may well be asking yourself: “why am I listening to yet another decarbonisation diatribe?”

Regardless of the headline political headwinds, the business case for green shipping projects continues to be relevant. And if you’re looking for some optimism to get you through some admittedly uncertain times when it comes to shipping’s decarbonisation agenda, Africa is good place to start.

This week’s episode of the podcast travels to Namibia and South Africa, via a green corridor into Europe, to understand why Africa could hold the key to shipping’s decarbonisation.

Joining Richard on this week’s podcast are:

Alexander Saverys, chief executive, CMB.Tech 
Jesse Fahnestock, decarbonisation director, Global Maritime Forum
James Mnyupe, senior vice-president sub-Saharan Africa, Thyssenkrupp
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The optimist’s business case for an African green shipping revolution

CLIMATE diplomacy is not dead, but it’s not looking too healthy right now.

A month after the International Maritime Organization’s Net-Zero Framework was put on life support for a year in the hope that a cure could be found, many of the same politicians, negotiators, non-governmental organisations, claques and hacks still reeling from that setback headed to Brazil for this year’s COP climate summit.

A push by more than 80 countries for plans to quit fossil fuels ultimately failed, but states did manage a less ambitious agreement to keep the wheels from falling off.

So where does that leave shipping?

“Not dead yet” is hardly the rallying cry that will spur a generation of bold zero-carbon innovation and investment.

We gathered insights from people who were in the thick of the COP negotiations for shipping, and where the IMO discussions leave us and what happens next.

Joining Richard on the podcast this week are:

Ellie Besley-Gould, chief executive of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative
Katharine Palmer, shipping lead at the UN High-Level Climate Champions team
Christiaan De Beukelaer, senior lecturer in culture and climate at the University of Melbourne and author of ‘Trade Winds’
Beatriz Martinez Romera, associate professor of environmental and climate change law at the University of Copenhagen

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Has the green transition been blown off course?

More than two years has passed since the hijacking of car carrier Galaxy Leader by the Houthis, which signalled the advent of a campaign of terror from the Yemeni rebel group on international shipping.

In that time, several vessels have been sunk and many seafarers have unfortunately lost their lives.

The impact on global shipping has of course been sizeable, with most key container carriers deciding to reroute services via the Cape of Good Hope instead.

But Houthi activity has quelled in recent weeks, with no vessels attacked since Eternity C.  in July, after a ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Hamas; the Houthis’ purported aim is to support the people of Gaza.

Whispers of a return have grown into murmurs, with comments from Maersk suggesting a return to the Red Sea may be sooner rather than later.

The Danish giant said it would “take steps” to return to the Suez Canal and Red Sea “as soon as conditions allow” after a meeting with the Suez Canal Authority.

So, should we expect a return to the Red Sea imminently then? 

Joining Joshua on the podcast this week are: 

Ian Ralby, founder and chief executive, IR Consilium 

Jakob Larsen, chief security and safety officer, BIMCO

Bridget Diakun, senior risk and compliance analyst, Lloyd’s List

Take the Outlook survey here: https://lloydslist.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1X5A55mVBKM156m 

Is a Red Sea return closer than ever before?

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