“It's obvious that technology developments can be used to safeguard the environment. My question is whether the shipping industry is taking new opportunities onboard fast enough.”

This question was asked by Olav Nortun, DNV Maritime Technical Director, at the DNV Maritime Forum held in London today. The event gathered representatives from the entire industry, including regulatory and flag authorities, class societies, yards, shipowners and cargo owners.

“The focus on environmental damage – caused by emissions from ordinary trading as well as accidents – is increasing and will increase even more in the years to come. The industry will have to move forward faster, be ready for embracing new technology developments and will have to be prepared for new environmental rules and regulations,” predicted Nortun.

In an increasingly transparent world, a company’s environmental profile will become even more important in the future. Nortun adds: “There will be a need for technology innovation throughout the maritime industry and for investment in environmental technology on board each and every ship. This necessitates a change of mindset. However, not all challenges can be solved through technology or regulations alone. Human factors and organisational factors also have to be addressed if we are to achieve the desired results.”

When it comes to accidents, the number of accidents in the shipping industry has shown a steady decline and the accident frequency is today significantly lower than it has been in the past few decades. However, the consequences of each single accident have increased over these years.

“The development of new solutions will normally give rise to new costs. In the case of sound environmental operations we believe that total costs may actually be reduced. DNV has shown that both fuel consumption and emissions to the air can be reduced considerably through a systematic approach to energy management in general” explains Nortun.

“If all those involved in the shipping industry work smartly together, we'll be able to improve both the environmental and safety performance, and we'll also achieve better economy,” says Olav Nortun.