The world needs to hasten its progress towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and now more than ever, businesses in the maritime sector must all adopt it as not just the right thing to do, but as the most profitable and essential business plan, Amy Jadesimi, managing director of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), has said.
Jadesimi, who has for the second year running, been selected as one of the five global maritime experts to form the Committee that will select the winners of this year’s Future Maritime Leaders essay competition, said that understanding and pursuit of sustainability will determine the shape of the global maritime sector going forward.
According to her, sustainability offers trillions of dollars of untapped opportunity that would help to ensure that future global crisis can be averted.
“International shipping is responsible for transporting 80 percent of global trade as well as having deep connections to a wide range of stakeholders from across the value chain. This gives it a vital role in tackling issues like trade and growth, climate change, global infrastructure and food and energy security,” Jadesimi stated.
She described the Future Maritime Leaders essay competition as one that creates a valuable opportunity for young people aspiring to become high-level leaders of the future to meet and engage with senior maritime stakeholders, adding that the topic of the easy is most important for young people to write – because they are the future of the maritime industry.
“This year’s topic: ‘Over the Next Decade, How Can the Maritime Sector Continue to Contribute to Realising the Sustainable Development Goals?’ was selected because the global maritime industry finds itself in a unique position to contribute to realising the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals over the next decade,” she added.
Jadesimi however advised participants to focus on the topic by developing an original solution, adding that the submissions should be sent to futureleaders@
Other members of the Committee include: Christine Loh, chief development strategist, Institute for Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who also heads the committee; Graham Westgarth, chief executive officer, V.Group UK; Oivind Lorentzen III, director, SEACOR Holdings, USA; and Stephen Cotton, general secretary, International Transport Workers’ Federation UK.
The winners of the competition will get all expenses covered invitation to the Global Maritime Forum’s virtual high-level meeting this October, and its 2021 annual summit in London, where they would join 250 leaders from inside and outside the maritime sector to represent the voice of young generations.
LADOL, which has been operational since 2006, is building the world’s first Sustainable Industrial Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) using the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to build a unique circular ecosystem, servicing a range of industries.
