Meanwhile, Governance and Commercial Policy Director Katrina Ross took part in the UK Tonnage Tax and International Tax Update webinar on Tuesday, where she commented on the proposals to open up ship management to tonnage tax and shared her thoughts on the commercial utility of the proposals. Watch the recording from 0:49:00.

The Chamber and other 100 top UK firms contributed to the latest Government’s new Critical Imports and Supply Chain Strategy, released on Wednesday. Katrina's comments about the strategy were featured on the Government's website.

Finally, find below the summary of the ICS meeting in Copenhagen and the write-up of a ship visit in Dover.

Chamber Meets New Maritime Minister

Our CEO, Sarah Treseder and President Graham Westgarth met Lord Davies of Gower on Tuesday.

Lord Davies was appointed the new Maritime Minister in November 2023 after the latest ministerial reshuffle. He sits in the DfT, and his role is to support the maritime sector in every aspect.

This was a chance for the Chamber to brief the Minister on crucial maritime matters such as the importance of career opportunities and new skills, decarbonisation investments, future fuels and much more. Lord Davies has kindly agreed to visit a nautical college during National Careers Week in March.

To learn more about the topics discussed and to read our CEO's comments, visit our news page.

Countdown to the Annual Gala Dinner

The countdown to our Annual Gala Dinner on 5 February at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London is about to begin. Be part of a renowned event in the shipping calendar to help you consolidate or make those new connections and learn more about the latest industry achievements.

We also wanted to announce our special guest for the night, the new Maritime Minister, Lord Davies of Gower. You can learn more about him in the item above.

The ticket sale closes next week, Wednesday, 24 January, so this is your last chance to secure your spot. There is limited availability for tickets, so make sure to have a ticket for what promises to be the maritime event of the year.

Chamber attends International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Meeting in Copenhagen

Environmental Director Francesco Sandrelli and Policy Advisor Elise Nyborg travelled to Copenhagen to represent the Chamber at the ICS Long Term Measures meeting on 16 and 17 January.

The aim was to clarify and finalise the details of a Fund and Reward (Feebate) mechanism for reducing international shipping emissions for submission to the IMO. Following the adoption of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy at MEPC 80 in July 2023, discussions at the IMO centred around progressing a viable market-based measure for the sector. After several proposals, an economic mechanism has been recognised as a key component of the mid-term GHG reduction measures. These are intended to help the industry achieve the revised emissions goals, set for adoption in 2025 and coming into force in 2027.

The revised IMO GHG Strategy includes an ambition to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping by or around 2050, a commitment to ensure the uptake of alternative zero and near-zero GHG fuels by 2030, and checkpoints for 2030 and 2040.

ICS intends to finalise its submission to the next round of IMO negotiations in the coming weeks. Members are invited to contact Francesco Sandrelli for further information.

Policy Team Visits Hybrid P&O Pioneer in Dover

On Wednesday, some of our Policy Team's members went to Dover for a round-trip to Calais to visit the newest P&O Ferries' hybrid vessel. 

The P&O Pioneer, in service since June 2023, is the world's largest double-ended ferry, with two bridges that remove the need to turn the vessel around between crossings, increasing efficiency.

The vessel is the first of her class ordered by P&O Ferries to replace the ageing Pride of Kent and will soon be joined by her sister, P&O Liberte, in early 2024 to replace the ageing Pride of Canterbury. Both vessels have capacity for 1,500 passengers, 2,800 lane metres for commercial traffic and 800 lane metres for cars.

The P&O Pioneer is the first ship on the Channel to utilise diesel-electric Azipod propulsion. The ship also features some 8.8 MW hours of lithium-ion batteries. It can be converted to battery-electric propulsion at a later date when charging infrastructure is available on both sides of the Channel.

Thanks to P&O Ferries for providing a thorough tour of the vessel.

National Apprenticeship Week

The National Apprenticeship Week (5 February - 11 February) is back, and the Chamber is keen to celebrate it and showcase the importance of apprenticeships in the maritime field.

We are looking for a few people who have undertaken an apprenticeship in the industry and would like to talk through their experience and the benefits it brought to them.

If interested, please send your story of no more than 250 words to our Digital Communications Manager, Antonella Barletta, by 31 January.

Members' Survey

Latest member updates

Chamber members are reminded that they have exclusive access to a range of updates from the Chamber’s policy experts on a wide spectrum of issues. You can access all your resources through your member dashboard. Latest updates include: 

• BSI - Consultation Electronic Chart Display and Information System
• 2024 AGM Papers
• Mode shift grants review - UK Chamber draft response

If you haven't done so, don't forget to register for an account.

Sign up for the Chamber's Newsletters 

To sign up for our newsletters you'll simply need to create an account on our website and choose your communication preferences. 

Members have a wide selection of circulars and other Chamber communications. Non-members will also have the opportunity to subscribe to some of our newsletters: Daily Briefing, Weekly Bulletin and Events Update.

Upcoming Events

Chamber Annual Gala Dinner -Ticket Sale Closing on 24 January  

The UK Chamber of Shipping is delighted to confirm that its Annual Gala Dinner will be taking place on 5th February 2024 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, Park Lane.

The premier black-tie event in the shipping calendar will be an opportunity to network with colleagues and celebrate recent achievements. Last year's event attracted around 855 influential guests from across the industry.

BOOK TICKET

Maritime Labour Convention Online Course

The Chamber will be hosting an online-only training course on the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC); how it has come to be the fourth pillar of international regulation for shipping, alongside SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW.

The course will be held on Tuesday 23rd January 9:30 - 12:30.

BOOK TICKET 

UK Chamber of Shipping AGM & Networking Drinks

The UK Chamber of Shipping AGM and Drinks Reception will be held this year at Glaziers Hall, from 4.30 - 6.30pm on 14th February 2024.

Join us in person to welcome our newly elected President and Vice-President.

BOOK TICKET

Introduction to Shipping Course  

Join us on Monday, 26 February, from 2 pm to 4 pm for our online course on Introduction to Shipping.

The Chamber’s Introduction to UK Shipping online course is an engaging online snapshot that will give participants an understanding of how the UK shipping industry operates, its regulations, constraints, and current issues.

BOOK TICKET  

Satellite Data & Service Opportunities for Maritime Online Webinar 

Join us on 25 January for a roundtable discussion on opportunities for leveraging satellite data and services in the Maritime sector. In collaboration with the UK Space Agency’s ‘Unlocking Space for Business’ programme.

BOOK TICKET 

Shipping UK Conference

We are delighted to announce the UK Chamber of Shipping will host its first Shipping UK, Conference on 8th October 2024 at the QEII Centre, Westminster.

The Chamber is currently working on themes, speakers and the day’s format but early thoughts are this will look into the key shipping issues we will all face over the next 10-15 years and will include Keynote Speakers, Breakout Sessions, Panel Debates, an Exhibition and Evening Food & Drink networking event at the end of conference business. Tickets will be on sale in early January 2024. In the meantime, save the date.