Small steps can cover great distances, when travelling in the right direction

Take “a series of small steps and eventually you can have something that will make an impact.” That was one of the messages addressed to over 100 attendees from around the world by Adventurer and CEO of Open Ocean Robotics, Julie Angus.  

IMCA’s Environmental Sustainability community and stakeholders came together on 28 September online to take a deep dive into to the key themes in IMCA’s Recommended Code of Practice on Environmental Sustainability. The Committee hosted this seminar with dedicated sessions introduced by IMCA members on emissions reduction, energy management, the circular economy, supply chain engagement, life below water and reporting. External speakers from the Basque Centre for Climate Change, the Global Maritime Forum, VARD Engineering Brevik, KPMG Netherlands, the United Nations Global Compact and Duke University also engaged attendees on many of the key topics covered in the Code. Over 200 delegates registered to attend the three-and-a-half-hour online seminar. 

The Code sets expectations on our industry to manage key environmental and climate topics associated with offshore marine construction.  With momentum shifting towards energy transition, it is clear that environmental sustainability must be treated as a business imperative for long-term value creation. This was echoed in the statements from both guest speakers, and members of IMCA’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, as Erik Bergh, HSEQS Director of DeepOcean, remarked “If you are not talking about it, if you are not asking critical questions, if you are not reporting on energy management, chances are you are not going to see the momentum that you want so that you can start achieving those targets.” 

IMCA’s CEO, Allen Leatt, acknowledged the leadership of the Environmental Sustainability Committee in developing this Code in his opening remarks, noting that it was a “a first step in the right direction” but more was needed to move the needle on environmental sustainability performance. ESC Chair and Chief Sustainability Officer at DOF called on IMCA members to “adhere to the Code and to demonstrate those results within our marine contracting industry,” adding that “Doing this together, and sharing best practice is a strategy we believe in, at IMCA.” Nadine Robinson, IMCA’s Technical Adviser on Environmental Sustainability concluded the seminar, detailing next steps and emphasising that the Code was just the beginning of IMCA’s Environmental strategy; “The seminar afforded an opportunity to further disseminate the Code, to explore some of the steps that are and can be taken within the IMCA membership. In the future, we will look at this a key moment in time for our committee and industry.” To learn more, see our seminar report below. 

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