Sabrina Chao opens Brussels office with appeal for all hands on deck

Published: 08 March 2023

On Tuesday 7 March, BIMCO hosted an opening reception, gathering industry relations, peers, and policy makers to celebrate the opening of our Brussels office. BIMCO’s presence in Brussels is inevitable at a time when the shipping industry works towards decarbonisation and EU regulations have significant impacts on the entire maritime industry and the environment.

The opening of the London office last year cemented the belief that BIMCO needs to be close to the decision-making processes, said BIMCO President, Sabrina Chao, in her welcome speech:

“With our Brussels office, and with all of you here today to celebrate, we have officially achieved that. We have a lot of work ahead of us: BIMCO, the entire maritime industry, our peer organisations, and the EU. In little over nine months shipping will be included in the EU Emissions Trading System as part of the EU’s Fit-for-55 climate and energy package. Certainly, regulation serves as one of the backbones for our industry, for all industries, when it comes to decarbonisation. Without regulation, developments would be slower and common guidelines and goals more blurred,” Chao said.

The BIMCO President pointed out that shipping remains one of the most important means of trade for the EU Member States: In 2021, 956 billion euros worth of cargo was exported from the EU by sea, with ships carrying over 40 percent of all goods exports.

“This will be done in an increasingly sustainable manner, and at BIMCO we support the objective of net zero carbon for shipping by 2050. To succeed, we need all hands on deck. We need the entire maritime industry and beyond. And as industry organisations, we need to assist the regulators and decision makers to help ensure that we are all navigating and heading in the same direction to reach the common goal of decarbonising.”

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