People the heroes of the energy transition at ABS committee meeting

In a wide-ranging meeting with ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki, regional leaders heard about the class society's support for diversity, community engagement and local talent initiatives through the employment of Emirati, Saudi, Omani, Egyptian and Bahraini nationals. ABS also welcomed the first first female surveyors and engineers to its UAE and Saudi Arabia teams.

“We also explored how people will be the heroes of the transition and how ABS is using advanced simulation technologies to ensure they have the skills to succeed,” said Wiernicki.

The focus of the event was on regulatory changes and market based measures, and how energy efficiency technologies hold the potential to reduce carbon intensity in shipping.

Splitting shipping decarbonisation into the categories of alternative fuels and energy sources, technology improvements, and operations measures to increase efficiency, Wiernicki said the committee explored each category from a number of angles, looking at the pipeline of changes ahead and strategies to succeed.

Updates were given on the latest regulatory developments affecting shipping, the environment and maritime safety, including the European Commission’s Fuel EU program, the European Union’s Fit for 55 plan, and its emissions trading system (EU ETS).

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Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO, ADNOC Logistics & Services, and Chairman of the ABS Middle East Regional Committee, said: “The challenge to produce and transport energy and goods while we transition to net zero is immense. Solutions will require collaboration from all stakeholders and razor-sharp focus on technological innovation, so that we can forge a path towards a resilient and future-ready maritime sector.”