Sustainability issues becoming more important in today’s economic climate

Per Marius Berrefjord, managing director for the DNV Sustainability Centre. Photo: DNV.

SINGAPORE: Losing sight of sustainability issues in this economic recession could mean bigger problems and costs in the future.

At the Sustainability in Challenging Times Seminar on Apr 20, DNV Sustainability Centre managing director Per Marius Berrefjord told representatives of the shipping industry that sustainability practices must not take a backseat even as many companies today are struggling with more immediate business challenges.

The seminar was a joint effort by DNV Petroleum Services and Intertanko. Besides Berrefjord, Intertanko managing director Peter Swift and AET Shipmanagement (Singapore) general manager Jack Brabban also shared their respective organisations’ experiences in sustainability efforts.

The three speakers were joined by DNVPS managing director Tore Morten Wetterhus, NYK Shipmanagement chief operating officer Hemant Pathania and Royal Norwegian Embassy science and technology counsellor Ole Jakob Sørdalen in a panel discussion chaired by Peter Swift.

Given that social, economic and environmental imperatives are directing both governmental and corporate policies in the international sustainability agenda, Berrefjord believed the factors contributing to the present market conditions are making long-term sustainability an even more relevant concern.

“The world is moving towards a common agreement that doing nothing about climate change and other sustainability issues is no longer an option. This conclusion is further galvanised by the global credit crisis which has left everyone with little faith in the present financial systems,” Berrefjord said.

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