The 6th AAMA Conference held in Mombasa from 3 – 5 May 2023 provided opportunities for Maritime Regulators and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to discuss key issues such as accelerating shipping decarbonization in the continent.
The Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) is the umbrella body of African maritime regulators.
Currently, developing nations face major hurdles largely due to limited fiscal space to support decarbonization in the maritime space. Lack of coherent maritime policies locks out African countries from accessing finance supporting climate resilience from multilateral lenders.
Speaking at the event Shadrack Mwadime, the Principal Secretary for Shipping and Maritime Affairs, Kenya said: “Maritime administrations in Africa must act as enablers to facilitate growth of the shipping industry. We must also come out in large numbers at IMO deliberations to ensure our needs are catered for at the global level.”
In a study in 2022, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) stated that Africa requires 126 vessels for bulk cargo and 15 box carriers by 2030 for full implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Unfortunately, African national and regional shipping lines have limited access to sustainable finance and labour, hindering their ability to scale up for international trade.
Additionally, maritime administrators were encouraged to upscale seafarers’ training as transition to green shipping presents new employment opportunities for Africans. Research by the Maritime Just Transition Task Force found up to 800,000 seafarers could require additional training by mid-2030s to operate vessels running on clean fuels.
As a potential seafarer supply continent, Africa could reap employment benefits provided by shipping’s green transition.
Source: https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/african-maritime-leaders-debate-their-role-in-decarbonizing-shipping
