IBIA CONVENTION: Bunker Holding Seeks More Focus on '2nd and 3rd Movers' in Decarbonisation

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday November 10, 2023

While much discourse on shipping and bunkering's decarbonisation agenda has focused on what the first movers will do, more attention should be paid to the intentions of those slower to the draw, according to marine fuels conglomerate Bunker Holding.

Maria Skipper Schwenn, the firm's director of environmental, regulatory and public affairs, discussed varying attitudes to maritime decarbonisation plans in a panel session at the IBIA Annual Convention 2023 in Dubai on Wednesday.

"Most of you here in this room that are involved in bunker trading are dealing with the second or third movers; by second movers I mean those that are just looking perhaps to do a trial of biofuel but nothing more than that," Schwenn said.

"And then third movers are the ones that are still just sitting there, ducking their heads and saying, 'Oh, this will probably go away, we're not going to do anything until you really force us to'."

"These second and third movers, they constitute the majority of the world fleet; and not only that, but they're also made up of small and medium-sized enterprises only operating about five vessels per company.

"For them to look into this huge regulatory hurricane just around the corner, it's a huge elephant for them to digest.

"We're not going to see this transition succeed unless we keep the second and third movers on board."

Ship & Bunker News Team
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