COLLABORATION is the fuel of shipping’s future. Net zero is not just possible by 2050, it’s going to happen. The EU and the IMO are going to converge regulations and the global south is going to produce enough green sustainable green fuels to power even the most ambitious decarbonisation trajectory for shipping.

Do we sound convincing?

Anyone who has attended any industry event over recent years will recognise this initial exuberance and overflowing optimism from industry keen to get it’s point across and this year’s Nor-Shipping is no exception.

The reality is of course much more muted and as discussed at length in the recent Lloyd’s List Decarbonisation special report there is a distinct gap between the rhetoric and the reality in shipping right now.

However, the Lloyd’s List team out in Oslo this week reports promising signs of a more mature industry prepared to tackle the right questions and not just gloss over the obvious problems with glib soundbites.

Today’s opening session from Capital Link and DNV offered up an interesting cast of industry leaders each tackling different aspects of the big questions of the day. 

For the first of our daily edition podcasts from Nor-Shipping this week we are bringing you two quick chats to support the initial bout of enthusiasm. The first is with DNV Maritime’s chief Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen who told the audience today to stop being critical of one alternative fuel pathway or another. He wants to fuel progress with a little known sustainable fuel called collaboration,

Then, buoyed by Knut’s unabashed optimism we couldn’t not bring you a chat with the ever exuberant Bud Darr, MSC’s head of maritime policy and government.