News 26 Sep, 2024 World Maritime Day- Navigating safely through the decarbonisation transition World Maritime Day is an official International Maritime Organization (IMO) day of recognition highlighting the vital work of the maritime sector and its key workers. International shipping transports more than 80 per cent of global trade worldwide; it underpins supply chains, international trade and globalisation. In turn, seafarers are the vital foundation of our industry and their safety must remain paramount now and into the future. Download PDF With this in mind, the 2024 World Maritime Day theme is: “Navigating the Future: Safety First!” In a nutshell, the focus is on ensuring the safety of seafarers is maintained and enhanced going forwards – especially as the industry is transformed through its decarbonisation drive. The introduction of new energy efficiency devices, alternative fuels and digital technology, for example, are all driving significant change. This environmental progress is essential; however, seafarers are at the coalface of unprecedented change to their training needs, skills and working practices. As a P&I Club, we believe loss prevention plays an important role in informing shipowners and their crews of evolving risks brought about by new technologies, and how to mitigate those risks. Our loss prevention team are all ex-seafarers, which helps them to understand the challenges and dangers that crew face in day-to-day shipping operations. They are acutely aware of the constant need to prioritise safety.  Our Loss Prevention Team for example, recently spearheaded West joining the Maritime Battery Forum – a global forum of experts in marine battery technology including shipowners, manufacturers, shipyards, classification societies, academia, insurers, charterers, and cargo owners. The forum’s key objective is to expedite the adoption of safe maritime battery solutions to facilitate emission reduction from ships and offers the valuable opportun