Shaping the Future of Shipping Summit

As part of COP28 in Dubai, Afion was commissioned by our client to produce the maritime industry’s flagship summit, at which all major stakeholders in international shipping would meet to commit to a sector-wide decarbonisation plan.

The Shaping the Future of Shipping Summit at COP28 was the most well-attended and furthest-reaching climate negotiation in the history of the maritime sector. Shipping’s presence at the UN Climate Change Conference was designed as a strategic vehicle for industry leaders, government ministers, and regulators to build a greener future for their industry.

The two-day summit opened with a closed-door workshop at the Jafza One Convention Centre, which featured moderated roundtable discussions, held under Chatham House rules. This fully prepared speakers and moderators for the main conference and set the agenda for the ministerial roundtable discussions, held later that day under the auspices of the COP Presidency. The second day of the summit featured a conference held in Dubai’s iconic Museum of the Future. Under the patronage of the UAE Ministry for Energy and Infrastructure, this conference convened over 300 maritime and energy-sector leaders, ministers, and regulators to discuss practical solutions for the transition to a zero-carbon economy.

The programme comprised CEO and ministerial panels, which were moderated by subject-matter experts. The conference was chaired by former BBC Science Editor, David Shukman and concluded with a Gala Dinner to welc oming the incoming Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the shipping industry’s regulatory body.The summit showcased the power of events to inspire and entertain, and to achieve the cooperation and high-level negotiations required to make sector-wide change.