World Maritime Day: MARAD willing to work with stakeholders to build climate-friendly shipping industry

…LCDS will propel pathway to greener shipping

In view of the recently concluded World Maritime Day 2022, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) remains committed to working with stakeholders in order to build a climate- friendly shipping industry. This is according to MARAD’s Director General, Captain Stephen Thomas.
In his World Maritime Day message, Thomas noted the importance of the day to mariners and all those involved in the maritime sector. According to him, there is much more the industry can do in moving towards safer shipping and greener seas.

“Guyana will not be left behind, as MARAD is willing to work with key stakeholders to ensure that our energy transition aligns with international standards in order to lend the right support to the local shipping industry,” Thomas has said.
“Guyana’s ocean area is more than half of Guyana’s territorial area. Thus, we are endowed with the space to pursue greener shipping through the expansion of the blue economy and the implementation of sustainable economic development initiatives,” he added.
When it comes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, Thomas noted that measures such as slow steaming, the implementation of sails, and more efficient hull designs have been touted as possible solutions.
According to Thomas, the theme for World Maritime Day, “New technologies for greener shipping”, is a timely one.
“Guyana ratified the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement that aims for global climate reduction in emissions by the year 2050. The global shipping community has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Guyana’s commitment towards the reduction of emissions is crucial in ensuring the planet’s future is protected for generations to come,” he has said.
Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, the subject Minister responsible for MARAD, released a World Maritime Day message of his own in which he emphasised the importance of a sustainable maritime sector.
“This year’s theme underscores global efforts to champion innovation for the acceleration of the maritime sector’s transition to a “zero and low-emission future. A sustainable maritime future is important to all of us,” Edghill said.
“And the Government of Guyana, in recognition of this fact, is committed to the sustainable management of our maritime resources in order to promote growth, jobs, innovation and investments, while simultaneously implementing the necessary safeguards for a healthy eco-system and marine environment.”
According to Edghill, Guyana’s national strategic plans, such as the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, align with global climate goals, and will propel the country’s efforts to achieve greener shipping.
The LCDS was first launched on June 8, 2009, and the revised version has been published in May 2010. This version was subsequently launched in March 2013. The new draft is intended to continue and build upon the work started in 2008.
Money from the LCDS has since created low-carbon jobs; enabled Amerindian villages to receive legal titles for communal lands; rehabilitated the Cunha Canal, to protect against flooding; and started to equip Amerindian and hinterland communities with renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
A new LCDS 2030 has, meanwhile, been ratified in the National Assembly. It seeks to create a new low-carbon economy in Guyana by establishing incentives which value the world’s ecosystem services, and promote these as an essential component of a new model of global development, with sustainability at its core.
In Guyana’s case, it is about harnessing the value of the country’s ecosystem services to build a long-term, low-carbon diversification opportunity. (G3)