The maritime transport sector is today at the center of a process of profound change, determined by the growing attention imposed by ESG’s objectives in a multi-stakeholder (and not only investor’s) perspective, as expressed by the EU in the innovations to the directive. on Sustainability Reporting aimed at reporting and disclosing all information and performance indicators related to sustainability (the summary is available on the Oibr Foundation website).
The areas involved
Change involves, with reporting, objectives, business models and strategies, all to be rethought in a sustainable way. Due to the specificities of the sector, notoriously energy-intensive and with multiple play-over negative emissions, issues related to the environment (E) undoubtedly play here the driving role of change, also driven by the current dynamics of the prices of energy products. The evolution, however, also embraces what is related to social sustainability (S) (respect for civil and labor rights, ability to contribute to the development of the social fabric and the territory in which the company operates, etc.) and what pertains to decision-making strategies and choices (G) (in terms, for example, of respect for remuneration ethics, of the principles of meritocracy and of shareholders’ rights, of combating corruption in all its forms, of equilibrium in the composition of the Board of Directors).
All these aspects, previously left to the discretion of the management, which were required only economic and financial objectives, are strongly entering the organization, strategies and decisions of companies. The thresholds for reporting obligations and the “voluntary basis” of application to other subjects must not be misleading: according to European standards, SMEs in the supply chain may in fact be requested by the head of the chain for information on the company’s sustainability , triggering an inevitable process of selecting interlocutors in the production and commercial chain.
The reduction of emissions
Due to the characteristics of the sector, the regulatory push towards change mainly concerns the harmful emissions of means of transport: transport is included by the EU lines among the sectors that due to their high impact will have specific standards for sustainability reporting and the legislator – both national and EU – has already introduced measures aimed at containing, through disincentives, limitations or conditions impeding the acquisition of incentives (such as compliance with the DNSH, Do Not Significant Harm principle), the environmental impacts of this business:
emissions of GHG and polluting atmospheric agents (sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulates);