- We find ourselves in an era of unprecedented change and transformation.
- The truth however may simply be that these alternatives don’t reside on the same timescale and that reducing emissions in the near term is actually far more challenging than talking about the future.
- We should avoid our natural inclination to drop into binary thinking or to shortcut the answer without taking a wider and informed scientific perspective.
As we move toward a future with zero carbon emissions, don’t let the great get in the way of the good as reported by Gard.
Reduced emissions
We find ourselves in an era of unprecedented change and transformation.
Rather than change being constant, as some would suggest, it may be accelerating for many of us instead.
Following COP26 both government and big business have become increasingly clear and aligned on the imperative to reduce emissions in supply chains and the opportunity this represents to meet their net-zero pledges and societal expectations.
While we are becoming increasingly clear on why emission reduction is essential and what needs to be done to tackle climate change, we are still very far from understanding or agreeing on how this will be done in practical terms quickly and who should pay.
There are however many examples of departments and employees who are still actively incentivised through their bonuses to act counter to the publicly stated emission reduction goals.
Practical solutions
It is all too human to revert to our natural inclination when we are stressed to selectively filter the options or shortcut the answer.
The truth however may simply be that these alternatives don’t reside on the same timescale and that reducing emissions in the near term is actually far more challenging than talking about the future.
Finding practical solutions to these challenges and opportunities requires brave and open leadership.
This requires a wider perspective and an open mind to be more accepting of novel solutions.
However, by consciously building a more collaborative culture in order to uncover the “art of what is possible to execute now” for that particular business all parties are more able to identify ways to reduce risk while testing and refining alternatives.
We should therefore not let great get in the way of good on our journey.
Sea transportation
To fully decarbonise sea transportation will of course require the introduction of truly green fuels.
The fuel used must also be available, competitive, safe, and accepted by local authorities.
While the last point is often overlooked or underestimated the first two are market factors that are largely out of our direct control.
The longer you work in this industry the better you begin to understand the many exceptions.
Think about the great diversity of end-customers served by sea transportation or other aspects of the marine industry across the many different trades, routes, ship sizes and segments.
For all the reasons above, a single fuel for the maritime industry may end up representing a danger to decarbonisation and is not the panacea some seek.
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Source: Gard
