Shaping a Better Maritime World: supporting industry transformation with class

“Our planet is overwhelmingly blue,” says Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore President Matthieu de Tugny. In his new book, Shaping a Better Maritime World, he sets out his vision for the future of maritime and the fundamental concern underpinning it. “Life on earth – our life – depends on the ocean.”

Over 70%^[1] of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, which is fundamental to its ability to sustain life. Our oceans produce over half of the oxygen we breathe, absorb 50 times more CO₂ than the atmosphere, and regulate our weather.^[2] Shaping a Better Maritime World takes a look at how class societies can support and enable the industry’s transformation, with the ocean at the forefront.

Standing up for the ocean

“Writing Shaping a Better Maritime World is an opportunity for me to shed light upon the growing trends that will determine the future of our industry,” says Matthieu. “We are all aware of society-wide calls for more transparent and effective climate action, environmental protection and social justice. In shipping, this is starting to translate to tighter regulations and ESG requirements from investors, but also to a significantly different mindset among marine stakeholders.”

As explored in the book, a safe and zero-carbon future for shipping means looking beyond fuels and propulsion. “There is an opportunity here for the maritime industry to become the guardian of the ocean and the backbone of low-carbon transport and energy generation,” Matthieu continues. “This ambition also has wider implications, including how we safeguard the wellbeing of crews, or how we reduce pollution to ensure our blue planet endures far into the future.”

This future will bring with it new cargoes, trade routes, technology, skills and ways of working. Undertaking this radical change, the industry will be subject to new regulations. “And this is where classification societies must play their part,” Matthieu says. “By building confidence where there is uncertainty.”

Diving into the expanding role of class societies

“Class has always been – and always will be – in a continuous state of evolution,”

Matthieu says. “De-risking new technology is one way that we can support the seismic change that the maritime industry will undergo. Class has been essential in this respect as the supportive partner of maritime pioneers for 200 years.”

Shaping a Better Maritime World describes a future characterized by a diverse fuel ecosystem and a plethora of new shipping and offshore technologies. As the maritime industry progresses towards this new oceanscape, the scope of classification societies will expand in parallel. “Just as we work to de-risk projects and ensure wellbeing at sea, we must increasingly focus upon how we protect the sea itself,” Matthieu explains. “Our ocean – more than two thirds of the planet – is now a maritime industry stakeholder in its own right.”

^[1] https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/how-much-water-there-earth
^[2] https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/why-care-about-ocean.html