Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has advised the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) on the creation of The Sea Cargo Charter, which was launched yesterday. Stephenson Harwood is the sole international law firm partner of the GMF.
The Sea Cargo Charter follows in the footsteps of the Poseidon Principles, another GMF initiative, and is a further development towards the aim of sustainability in the maritime industry. It aspires to set a new benchmark for transparent climate reporting, and improved decision-making in line with the United Nations decarbonisation targets.
“Maritime transport is the most environmentally-friendly method of transporting goods internationally, and the whole of the world’s economy relies on efficient shipping. But there is a paradox: at the same time, shipping is one of the “hard to abate” industries, in which reducing emissions is particularly hard. It is fair to say that the maritime industry was late starting in its efforts to reduce emissions, but efforts are now gathering pace. The Sea Cargo Charter is an important step in that direction.” said Haris Zografakis, partner, Stephenson Harwood, who leads the firm’s partnership with GMF, and was a member of the drafting group that produced the Sea Cargo Charter. “Our firm has a long history of supporting and serving the maritime industry, and of being at the cutting edge of developments. Working with the GMF to produce this Charter is a prime example of this. It has been a real privilege to collaborate with GMF members on this ambitious project, which will help our industry to focus on the positive impact it can have on the environmental challenges we face.”
The Founding Signatories of the Sea Cargo Charter include Anglo American, ADM, Bunge, Cargill OceanTransportation, COFCO International, Dow, Equinor, Gunvor Group, Klaveness Combination Carriers, Louis DreyfusCompany, Norden, Occidental, Shell, Torvald Klaveness and Trafigura.
Stephenson Harwood is recognised as having one of the world’s leading international maritime trade practices. With offices in key trading hubs, the firm offers comprehensive, specialist advice with a reputation for strength and depth and a strong commercial focus. Stephenson Harwood’s lawyers are market-leading and uniquely specialist in all aspects of international maritime trade, both contentious and non-contentious, including ship finance, marine insurance and commodities trading.