On October 17th, our CEO, Cesare d'Amico, received the CEOforLIFE Award, for his commitment to raising awareness of the maritime industry in the Italian landscape. On the same day, he led the roundtable discussion: "From today to 2050: challenges and opportunities for decarbonisation in the maritime industry."
Partners of the d'Amico Group, with whom we have already been working for some time, participated in the panel:
- Claudio Ferrari, Professor of Transport Economics, University of Genoa, and maritime economics expert
- Guido Grimaldi, President of ALIS - Associazione Logistica dell'Intermodalità Sostenibile & Vice President of Confitarma - Confederazione Italiana Armatori
- Franco Porcellacchia, CEO of Ecospray
- Ugo Salerno, Executive Chairman of RINA
The discussion focused on the challenges of energy transition in the maritime sector—one of the so-called "hard to abate" industries. Promising solutions such as green methanol, ammonia, and nuclear energy, and electric propulsion are under development, but still need time to be developed further and to become real solutions also from an economic point of view. The panel stressed that consistent global regulations are crucial to prevent market distortions, and that incentives, like a global fuel tax, could help accelerate the adoption of efficient technologies. All panellists agreed that the main goal, which is reaching decarbonization, is shared and common across the entire industry.
Cesare d’Amico closed with a powerful message:
"Only 3% of global CO2 emissions come from maritime transport, despite the fact that it carries 90% of the world’s goods, supporting global trade and development.
The key point is that, as of now, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Even in the future, there will be various options depending on the type of vessel, route, and the choices made by shipowners. Shipowners and all stakeholders must collaborate much more actively, sharing both challenges and potential solutions. In parallel, we cannot stand still; we must push governments to act. Let us not forget that the Italian fleet is among the most advanced in the world.
Despite numerous crises, our companies have arisen stronger, our fleets are more and modern, and we are better prepared to face today’s and tomorrow’s challenges—especially with the help of new generations, who are more familiar to these issues.”
#decarbonisation #maritimeindustry #ceoforlifeawards2024 #sustainability #energytransition