On April 23^rd 2021, Mrs. Vivian Rambarath-Parasram, Director and Head, Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC) Caribbean and Assistant Professor at the Centre for Maritime and Ocean Studies (CMOS), The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), took part in the Decarbonisation Panel Discussion for the IMO-Singapore Future of Shipping Conference and NextGEN Inaugural Workshop.

The Conference and Meeting were jointly organised by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The event facilitated the sharing of insights on decarbonisation, digitalisation and trade in a disrupted world following the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Conference included presentations on various cooperation and collaboration initiatives in the maritime value chain, the importance of a globally coordinated approach to achieve the Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships, 2050 level of ambitions and maximising the potential of digitalisation to ensure that the maritime supply chain optimises its efficiency and resilience.

As part of her contribution, Mrs. Rambarath-Parasram highlighted the need for alliances and collaboration between Government and Industry to champion decarbonisation efforts, especially given the current barriers and resource constraints among Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Members of the MTCC Caribbean team were also part of the audience and were able to capitalise on the global discussions and insightful contributions from the industry experts.

The Conference also included the Next Green and Efficient Navigation (NextGEN) Inaugural Workshop, which set foundations to further enhance collaboration on the journey towards decarbonisation among leaders and subject matter experts from across the maritime and energy value chains, with special emphasis on collaboration among initiatives that address the needs of developing countries in particular LDCs and SIDS. Mrs. Rambarath-Parasram moderated group discussion within this meeting, with the support of MTCC Caribbean Officers, Mr. Tevin Parris and Mr. Michael Razack. The outputs of these group discussions formulated part of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General for the Climate Action Team’s address on mapping the global maritime decarbonisation system - identifying synergies, exploring collaborations.

Please find more details of the event here.

The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) as the proud host institution of the MTCC Caribbean, continues to lead and provide solutions to some of society's most pressing challenges through quality research and innovative thinking. Reach out to us at mtcc@utt.edu.tt for capacity building and technical projects addressing climate change in the Maritime Shipping industry.