Risk and confidence have certainly fluctuated among maritime leaders over the past few years, particularly as new challenges emerge. To gain a better understanding of industry sentiment, the International Chamber of Shipping more than 130 global maritime leaders to assess pressure points impacting shipping and confidence levels in mitigating these challenges.    

The ICS Maritime Barometer Report 2022-2023 notably highlighted the growing risk of unilateral or fragmented regulation, emphasising the need for regulators to pursue a long-term strategy to align with maritime’s global regulatory framework. Attention was also drawn to the alternative fuels market, where certain respondents anticipate nuclear power to be viable within the next decade.    

Welcoming the publication, Guy Platten, the Secretary General of ICS, said “The maritime sector is the heartbeat of the global economy. At a time of rapid change, it is imperative that we find fresh ways to actively engage our community and assess perception of industry progress on decarbonisation and risk mitigation. The ICS Barometer presents a snapshot of industry sentiment that, if used by the shipping community, can advance collaboration and present a united voice to regulators, national governments, and global stakeholders.” 

With the respondents from the United Kingdom recording the highest participation from a single country — the ICS Barometer report also features a special regional focus on key regional findings. 

Sarah Treseder, CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping said “Mechanisms like the ICS Barometer Report are vital to understand maritime’s state-of-play and I’m delighted the UK had the highest response rate. The survey was a timely opportunity for UK-based stakeholders to share their views, including their concerns about the need for immediate progress on infrastructure in relation to future fuel availability. 

“I recommend the survey to others and hope the report’s findings and trend analysis are a topic of conversation across the shipping community and elsewhere.” 

The ICS Barometer 2022-2023 is freely available here.