MARPOL at 50 – Our commitment goes on
On the initiative of the IMO Goodwill Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis, and in celebration of the IMO’s World Maritime Day, Isalos.net organized a conference entitled “MARPOL at 50 – Our commitment goes on” on Monday 13 November 2023 at the Planetarium of the Eugenides Foundation, in cooperation with the British and Norwegian Embassies in Athens.
At this conference, members of the shipping communities of Greece, Norway, and the UK shared their thoughts on the next day for the industry. Reducing the environmental footprint of shipping and how this will be achieved has been at the top of the international shipping community’s agenda in recent years, without neglecting the safety of both the marine environment and the seafarers who are called upon to play a key role in this new reality.
In his address, the Goodwill Ambassador Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis said that Greece, the UK, and Norway maintain strong maritime ties which can be further strengthened given that the ever-changing regulatory framework of shipping, apart from the challenges, also creates opportunities. “The things that unite us are more than the things that divide us”, said Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis, adding that the conference is a great opportunity for clusters, academic institutions, and the governments of the three countries to join forces in this new era for shipping.
“In 2023, the IMO celebrates MARPOL’s 50-year legacy, a remarkable milestone, focusing on the urgent challenges ahead in the industry’s transformation effort. With an ever-changing regulatory framework and rapid technological advances ahead, the maritime industry faces many challenges in the process of meeting the ambitious challenges of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As we all know, the IMO has revised its GHG strategy, setting even more stringent milestones ahead, requiring even bolder decisions,” he noted.
The conference was held under the auspices of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and was a continuation of the trilateral dialogue that started in 2022, aiming to exchange thoughts, views, and know-how, but also to find common ground for cooperation between Greece, Britain, and Norway.
