A maritime transition for island territories : beyond decarbonisation

On June 11, Green Marine Europe participated in the Islands Forum held as part of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3).
Our General Manager, Antidia Citores, spoke during Panel 2 – "Solutions and innovations to decarbonise maritime transport", alongside:

• Huguette Bello, President of the Réunion Region
• Guillaume Le Grand, CEO of TOWT – TransOceanic Wind Transport (a GME participant)
• Hervé Berville, Member of Parliament

An opening keynote was by Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who emphasised the importance of international regulations in sustainably structuring the shipping transition, beyond voluntary initiatives.

The discussion, moderated by Gavin Allwright, Secretary-General of the International Windship Association (and member of Green Marine International), shed light on the specific challenges faced by island territories.

An Essential—and Systemic—Transition

Our message was clear: the environmental transition of maritime transport is essential for islands, whose connectivity relies heavily on maritime flows.
However, this transition cannot be limited to decarbonisation alone. It must encompass the entire maritime ecosystem and include:

• The protection of marine biodiversity
• The reduction of underwater noise
• The life cycle assessment of ships

These are all dimensions addressed by the Green Marine Europe certification, which supports shipowners, shipyards — and soon ports — in a rigorous process of continuously improving their environmental performance.

An Opportunity for Islands

This transformation also represents a genuine opportunity for island territories:

• To develop a sustainable maritime economy that respects ecosystems
• To foster local employment through training and upskilling of young people
• To imagine more resource-efficient, resilient, and equitable logistics models

This forum was a valuable opportunity to reaffirm that islands are not just on the frontlines of climate change — they can also be laboratories for maritime innovation and sustainability.