By Park Si-soo
BUSAN — Climate change could lead to life-threatening destruction to those inhabitants of low-lying coastal areas and islands. However, it is believed to be offering shipping companies opportunities to create new navigation routes that will save time and energy by using the melting frozen waters off the polar regions.
For that reason, many ocean transportation service providers are gearing up to learn how to safely navigate the new routes. The country’s first ice-breaker christened in November last year for polar exploration reflects the significance of the region for ocean transportation.
A group of chief executives of major shipping firms and maritime policy-makers gathered at BEXCO, a convention center in Busan, Monday, to discuss the issue at the International Symposium for Expo 2012 - Yeosu Korea and World Ocean Forum, which will run until Wednesday.
The Yeosu Expo Organizing Committee hosted the symposium under the theme, “Climate change and ocean challenge toward the era of a Blue Economy.”
During the event, CEOs and executives in the ocean transportation industry echoed that climate change will provide a boon to the industry.
“Climate change is opening new sea routes,” said Choi Eun-young, chairwoman of Hanjin Shipping and co-chairperson of the event. “As the North Pole Route opens, the sailing distance between Europe and East Asia will be cut by a third and the new passage will connect the Atlantic with the Pacific via the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.”
Choi said the ocean logistics industry pins high hopes on the new routes, demanding marine scientists and policy-makers cooperate to share knowledge on the issue through close networking.
But some experts say more orchestrated efforts are needed for consistent use of the areas and to maintain a clean environment in the region.
They said current shipping technology has failed to drastically curb greenhouse gas emissions from vessels. The shipping industry accounts for about 2.7 percent of the entire greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.
“We have made ‘tiny’ steps in curbing emissions. What’s available today falls short of changing the paradigm,” said Nikolaus H. Schues, CEO of Reederei F. Laeisz, a shipping company in Germany, at one of the sessions.
He urged ship builders and ocean transportation services providers to develop technologies that can cut greenhouse gas emissions and draw up ideal routes for energy-efficient sailing.
Six other executives and experts in ocean transportation joined the round-table session.
Among them were Kim Young-min, president of Hanjin Shipping in South Korea; Chung Rae-kwon, director of the environment and development division at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); John Coustas, CEO of Danaos Corp. in Greece; and Jose Luis Hormaechea, managing director of Port of Algeciras Bay in Spain.
More than 2,000 noted maritime experts joined the symposium to discuss a variety of issues focusing on the eco-friendly development of coastal areas and oceans and their preservation.
They also shared innovative technologies and study results at the event.