2023: A milestone year for sustainability

Singapore-based Panos Koutsourakis recently took up the post of Vice President, Global Sustainability for ABS, expanding on his previous role as ABS Director, Global Sustainability since 2020. With the new role, he heads-up a global network of sustainability centers in key maritime locations, including Singapore, Athens, Houston, Copenhagen and Shanghai. 

By being based in Singapore Koutsourakis is close to developments in Asia – Pacific which are of high importance to ABS in terms of sustainability in maritime. Speaking to Seatrade Maritime he notes that Singapore is home to many shipowners, and a lot of information on fuels can be gathered from the world’s largest bunkering port. Looking to the wider region there is a growth in hydrogen and ammonia production in Australia, both potential future fuels for shipping, and Japan is a top location for alternative fuels trading. “So, for the business part, for me, it makes sense to be based in Singapore, because I can be very close to all of these developments,” he explains.

Koutsourakis believes that 2023 will be a milestone year for the development of sustainability in shipping. He says that 2022 was a very challenging year because ABS and the industry at large did a lot of work on the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new Energy Efficiency Existing Ships Index (EEXI).

Related:Seatrade Maritime Special Report: Singapore

Read the full article online in the Singapore Special Report 

Make sure you pick-up a hard copy of the Special Report at Sea Asia 2023 in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands from 25 - 27 April