Within the framework of the BNP Paribas Fortis Chair Transport, Logistics and Ports at the University of Antwerp, a shipping event is organised every two years. The third edition took place at the bank’s regional headquarters in Antwerp last week, focusing on the impact of decarbonisation and energy transition. The programme included keynote speeches by Vincent Pascal, head of shipping and offshore finance Europe, Middle East and Africa at BNP Paribas and Claudio Abbate, group vice-president of maritime policy and government affairs at MSC, EU Member of Parliament Kathleen Van Brempt as well as case-study presentations by Boluda, DEME and Euronav. IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven joined representatives of Dow Chemical, DP World, ECSA and Exmar in the closing panel discussion which addressed investments, finance and regulation of maritime decarbonisation. In his intervention, Patrick pointed at the win-win that a global market-based measure (MBM) would present to raise the ambitions of the IMO greenhouse gas strategy whilst providing funding for port-related infrastructure in developing countries, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Once adopted, regional measures, such as the inclusion of shipping in the EU Emission Trading Scheme, would need to be aligned with the global framework. The BNP Paribas Fortis Chair Transport, Logistics and Ports was inaugurated in 2010 at the Department of Transport and Regional Economics of the University of Antwerp. Current holder of the chair is professor Christa Sys.
