By
Rebecca Gibson |
Nonprofit organisation World Ocean Council (WOC) was established to bring together multi-sector stakeholders to drive sustainable ocean development and environmental stewardship, particularly focused on corporate ocean responsibility for a sustainable and regenerative blue economy. In keeping with this aim, the WOC joined forces with several partners to launch a new initiative in December 2024: the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Green Shipping. Financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, the CoE has been launched under the GREEN MARINE MED project and will live on after the project ends in October 2025. It aims to revolutionise green shipping across the Mediterranean and lay the foundation for tackling critical challenges facing the global maritime industry. Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy, managing director of WOC, explains how it will achieve this goal.
What is the CoE on Green Shipping and who is involved in the project?
As part of its overarching goal and objective setting, the WOC has set plans in motion to develop a new CoE annually over the next two to three years. At the same time, WOC is actively collaborating with both the port and city of Barcelona to promote the Spanish city, Catalunya and the broader regions as a global hub for the blue economy. As part of these efforts, we launched the CoE on Mediterranean Green Shipping, which is spearheaded by the WOC in collaboration with Centro Tecnologico Naval y del Mar, Port of Barcelona and Barcelona Activa. We have also partnered with local entities and a broad base of regional stakeholders from Mediterranean countries including Italy, France, Morocco, Israel and Turkey. The CoE serves as a dynamic coalition focusing on pioneering resilient marine and maritime practices, starting in the Mediterranean.
What is the main goal of the CoE and why did you choose to start it in the Mediterranean?
The centre aims to promote innovative and sustainable maritime practices, unite key stakeholders from diverse sectors and catalyse advancements in green shipping technologies that can set new environmental practices and standards globally. WOC chose to place its headquarters in Barcelona in 2022 because of the strong synergies for the blue economy. With our partners, we want to build on that alignment for the CoE on Green Shipping. Barcelona is a pivotal city and port in the Mediterranean and a beacon for blue economy and ‘blue tech’ players. It also has a well-established maritime, port, cruise, pleasure boat and watersports infrastructure and the strong synergy between the port, city authorities and other key maritime stakeholders makes it an ideal location to launch the centre across the Mediterranean.
Barcelona has a well-established port, cruise and wider maritime infrastructure, making it the ideal base for the CoE on Mediterranean Green Shipping
The CoE will bring together diverse maritime and marine sectors. What are the main benefits of this multisectoral approach?
Adopting this approach enables the CoE to effectively address the complex sustainability and resilience challenges within the broader maritime industry. By harnessing the collective expertise and resources from different sectors, the CoE can develop innovative, integrated solutions that significantly enhance both scalability and impact. For example, a project that combines advanced fuel technologies with efficient port waste management practices can drastically reduce the environmental footprint of shipping operations. Cities and ports that work closely with innovators can create co-benefits that extend from coastal protection to biodiversity to fisheries. This collaborative framework advances the maritime arenas towards more sustainable practices and also promotes broader societal and marine benefits. These include substantial reductions in environmental impacts, stimulation of economic growth through the development and adoption of green technologies, and increased community resilience to the effects of climate change. Such an approach demonstrates a successful model for cross-industry collaboration, setting a standard for future environmental sustainability initiatives.
Can you give us an overview of the key maritime issues you will be targeting?
Beyond decarbonisation, the CoE aims to tackle a comprehensive range of environmental challenges, including minimising water and noise pollution, and enhancing energy efficiency across the maritime sector as well as biodiversity and habitat regeneration.
However, our focus extends beyond environmental issues. We’re also committed to improving safety standards, enhancing maritime security, boosting operational efficiency and improving coastal resilience. We also have a broader footprint that includes ‘up river’ to facilitate better outcomes for contributing (fresh) waterways, inland shipping and the connectivity between countries, municipalities, ports and corporations and innovators that serve them. Our goal is to develop holistic, sustainable practices that encompass these areas and can serve as benchmarks for the global shipping industry and beyond. This broad approach will lead to a healthier ocean and reduced ecological footprints, while ensuring a safer and more secure and efficient maritime environment.
What type of partners are you looking to work with and how can they get involved?
We’re keen to forge partnerships with an extensive network of stakeholders that goes beyond the traditional green shipping actors. This includes maritime businesses, technology startups, investors, policymakers, academic institutions, non-governmental organisations and community groups from various geographical regions. Our partners are instrumental in providing the innovation, funding and regulatory frameworks for advancing our projects. Moreover, we aim to engage stakeholders from diverse geographies, including but not limited to North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the broader European coast, the Middle East, and global entities interested in developing sustainable maritime practices. This global collaboration enriches our perspective and enhances the scalability of our solutions. Interested parties from all sectors and regions are warmly encouraged to get involved by joining our CoE, participating in joint industry projects and contributing to the development of pilot projects. These projects are designed to be tested in real-world environments in key maritime locations around the world, thereby fostering a wide-reaching impact on global maritime practices.
Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy, managing director of WOC
Do you plan to establish similar CoEs elsewhere in the world?
While the first phase is focused on establishing a robust foundation in the Mediterranean, our vision extends much further. We’re actively exploring opportunities to replicate and adapt this successful model for other sea basins and regions globally. For instance, we’re considering expanding into areas like Latin America and Asia, where maritime activities are integral to local economies and ecosystems but face unique challenges and opportunities for sustainable blue economy development.
In addition to geographic expansion, the WOC plans to establish additional CoEs that focus on specific thematic areas. One initiative is a CoE on Circularity and Circular Materials, which will delve into practice and products, packaging, building and reuse, and everything from ship recycling to plastics, wastewater and biofuels. This will address the urgent need for reducing waste and promoting recycling and reuse across maritime operations. These developments represent our commitment to expand our reach and deepen our impact by addressing a broad spectrum of sustainability challenges across the global maritime sector. This long-term strategy underscores our dedication to fostering global collaboration and innovation in pursuit of a sustainable maritime future.
To join the Centre of Excellence on Green Shipping, visit: bit.ly/43Cei16
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