A maritime regulation and compliance expert, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said that decarbonisation and the broader green maritime agenda have moved beyond environmental obligations to become critical drivers of competitiveness, profitability and long-term sustainability in the global shipping industry.
Peterside, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), stated this on Monday while delivering the keynote address at a high-level webinar organised by Naturehedge in collaboration with the West Africa Green Economic Development Institute (WAGEDI), Gregory University, the SSA Hub and the Sustainable Energy Practitioners Association of Nigeria (SEPAN).
Addressing a virtual audience comprising shipowners, shipping companies, port authorities, regulators, financiers, energy experts and maritime stakeholders across Africa and beyond, Peterside urged industry players to embrace sustainability as a business strategy rather than merely a compliance obligation.
Speaking on the theme, “Green Maritime: Strategy and Operations Beyond Optics,” he described green maritime as the adoption of environmentally sustainable policies, technologies and operational practices designed to reduce the environmental footprint of shipping while improving efficiency and business performance.
According to him, the transition to greener shipping is no longer optional as tightening international regulations, changing market expectations and investor demands are reshaping the maritime industry.
“Green maritime is about environmentally sustainable practices, technologies and policies that reduce impact on the environment,” Peterside said.
He, however, stressed that the concept extends far beyond environmental stewardship.
According to him, green maritime has become a multidimensional business strategy that influences operating costs, access to finance, profitability, operational efficiency and ultimately an organisation’s licence to operate in an increasingly sustainability-conscious global economy.
Peterside noted that with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) introducing more stringent carbon-intensity regulations from 2026 and the European Union expanding the scope of its Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for shipping, companies that fail to adapt risk losing competitiveness in international trade.
He said the future would favour organisations that successfully integrate decarbonisation, digitalisation, innovation and operational excellence into their business models.
According to him, sustainability should no longer be viewed as a branding exercise but as a measurable source of operational resilience, commercial advantage and long-term value creation.
Peterside outlined practical pathways through which African maritime operators could position themselves competitively in the emerging low-carbon economy.
These include voyage optimisation to reduce fuel consumption, just-in-time arrival systems that minimise vessel waiting time at ports, adoption of cleaner alternative fuels such as methanol, ammonia and liquefied natural gas (LNG), deployment of digital technologies to improve operational efficiency, and investment in safety-focused capacity building and workforce training.
He emphasised that regulatory compliance should represent only the starting point for maritime organisations.
According to him, the greatest competitive advantage would come from embedding sustainability principles into daily operations, investment decisions, data management and corporate financing structures.
The webinar comes at a time when the global shipping industry is accelerating efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions following the IMO’s revised greenhouse gas strategy, which targets net-zero emissions from international shipping by around 2050. The strategy is driving increased investments in cleaner fuels, energy-efficient vessels, smart shipping technologies and greener port infrastructure across major maritime nations.
For African countries, experts say the transition presents significant opportunities to modernise port infrastructure, attract climate finance, enhance trade competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and strengthen participation in global shipping value chains.
Also speaking, Prof. Magnus Onuoha, President of the Governing Council of the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Allied Association (REEEAA) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SEPAN, described the webinar as a strategic precursor to a major pan-African workshop scheduled to hold in Accra, Ghana.
According to him, the workshop will consolidate the outcomes of the webinar and translate the discussions into practical actions capable of advancing Africa’s maritime decarbonisation agenda.
“This workshop aims to consolidate the gains of the webinar and drive tangible action in Africa’s maritime sector,” he said.
Providing an international industry perspective, Managing Director of Damen Shipyards South Africa, Madam Hermione Manuel, said green maritime represents the convergence of sustainability, regulatory compliance and commercial competitiveness.
She highlighted Damen’s hybrid vessel development projects as practical evidence that environmentally friendly technologies can simultaneously improve operational efficiency and create long-term business value.
The organisers also announced that the webinar series would continue ahead of the physical workshop in Accra, which will feature Dr. Felicia Mogo, the first African woman appointed to the United Nations Group of Experts on Marine Environment and Socio-Economics and a former Executive Director at NIMASA.
Mogo is expected to deliver a presentation titled “Navigating Sustainable Growth: Business Model Innovation and ESG in the Maritime Sector and Blue Economy,” focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles and innovative business models required to position African maritime businesses for future growth.
The organisers said the sustained engagement is aimed at strengthening Africa’s strategic and operational capacity for maritime decarbonisation, equipping industry stakeholders with the knowledge, partnerships and innovations required to compete effectively in the rapidly evolving global green shipping economy.
– Peterside
A maritime regulation and compliance expert, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said that decarbonisation and the broader green maritime agenda have moved beyond environmental obligations to become critical drivers of competitiveness, profitability and long-term sustainability in the global shipping industry.
Peterside, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), stated this on Monday while delivering the keynote address at a high-level webinar organised by Naturehedge in collaboration with the West Africa Green Economic Development Institute (WAGEDI), Gregory University, the SSA Hub and the Sustainable Energy Practitioners Association of Nigeria (SEPAN).
Addressing a virtual audience comprising shipowners, shipping companies, port authorities, regulators, financiers, energy experts and maritime stakeholders across Africa and beyond, Peterside urged industry players to embrace sustainability as a business strategy rather than merely a compliance obligation.
Speaking on the theme, “Green Maritime: Strategy and Operations Beyond Optics,” he described green maritime as the adoption of environmentally sustainable policies, technologies and operational practices designed to reduce the environmental footprint of shipping while improving efficiency and business performance.
According to him, the transition to greener shipping is no longer optional as tightening international regulations, changing market expectations and investor demands are reshaping the maritime industry.
“Green maritime is about environmentally sustainable practices, technologies and policies that reduce impact on the environment,” Peterside said.
He, however, stressed that the concept extends far beyond environmental stewardship.
According to him, green maritime has become a multidimensional business strategy that influences operating costs, access to finance, profitability, operational efficiency and ultimately an organisation’s licence to operate in an increasingly sustainability-conscious global economy.
Peterside noted that with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) introducing more stringent carbon-intensity regulations from 2026 and the European Union expanding the scope of its Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for shipping, companies that fail to adapt risk losing competitiveness in international trade.
He said the future would favour organisations that successfully integrate decarbonisation, digitalisation, innovation and operational excellence into their business models.
According to him, sustainability should no longer be viewed as a branding exercise but as a measurable source of operational resilience, commercial advantage and long-term value creation.
Peterside outlined practical pathways through which African maritime operators could position themselves competitively in the emerging low-carbon economy.
These include voyage optimisation to reduce fuel consumption, just-in-time arrival systems that minimise vessel waiting time at ports, adoption of cleaner alternative fuels such as methanol, ammonia and liquefied natural gas (LNG), deployment of digital technologies to improve operational efficiency, and investment in safety-focused capacity building and workforce training.
He emphasised that regulatory compliance should represent only the starting point for maritime organisations.
According to him, the greatest competitive advantage would come from embedding sustainability principles into daily operations, investment decisions, data management and corporate financing structures.
The webinar comes at a time when the global shipping industry is accelerating efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions following the IMO’s revised greenhouse gas strategy, which targets net-zero emissions from international shipping by around 2050. The strategy is driving increased investments in cleaner fuels, energy-efficient vessels, smart shipping technologies and greener port infrastructure across major maritime nations.
For African countries, experts say the transition presents significant opportunities to modernise port infrastructure, attract climate finance, enhance trade competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and strengthen participation in global shipping value chains.
Also speaking, Prof. Magnus Onuoha, President of the Governing Council of the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Allied Association (REEEAA) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SEPAN, described the webinar as a strategic precursor to a major pan-African workshop scheduled to hold in Accra, Ghana.
According to him, the workshop will consolidate the outcomes of the webinar and translate the discussions into practical actions capable of advancing Africa’s maritime decarbonisation agenda.
“This workshop aims to consolidate the gains of the webinar and drive tangible action in Africa’s maritime sector,” he said.
Providing an international industry perspective, Managing Director of Damen Shipyards South Africa, Madam Hermione Manuel, said green maritime represents the convergence of sustainability, regulatory compliance and commercial competitiveness.
She highlighted Damen’s hybrid vessel development projects as practical evidence that environmentally friendly technologies can simultaneously improve operational efficiency and create long-term business value.
The organisers also announced that the webinar series would continue ahead of the physical workshop in Accra, which will feature Dr. Felicia Mogo, the first African woman appointed to the United Nations Group of Experts on Marine Environment and Socio-Economics and a former Executive Director at NIMASA.
Mogo is expected to deliver a presentation titled “Navigating Sustainable Growth: Business Model Innovation and ESG in the Maritime Sector and Blue Economy,” focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles and innovative business models required to position African maritime businesses for future growth.
The organisers said the sustained engagement is aimed at strengthening Africa’s strategic and operational capacity for maritime decarbonisation, equipping industry stakeholders with the knowledge, partnerships and innovations required to compete effectively in the rapidly evolving global green shipping economy.
