World Bunkering > News > Spring 2010 > Chairman's Introduction

Chris Fisher

It is said that a week is a long time in politics. That may well be true, but a year in bunkering is a great deal longer. As I look back on the past 12 months as Chairman of IBIA, it seems an appropriate time to reflect not only on how quickly time flies when you are enjoying yourself, but also on the diverse and fascinating nature of the international bunkering industry.

Of course the bunkering industry’s performance is inexorably linked with that of the shipping industry which it serves. And what a difficult year it has been for global shipping. Depressed freight markets, slow steaming, accelerated scrapping and a glut of newbuildings coming onto the market at a time when existing tonnage is entering lay-up for lack of work; these are just some of the things that 2009 will be remembered for.

But shipping is a resilient industry. Despite the low freight rates available in the market today, despite the worry over the newbuildings surge, despite the continued rise in operating expenses, despite the increasing cost of finance and insurance, and despite the worries about cashflow and the world economy, shipping stands ready for another year in which to do what it does best – mobilising world trade efficiently and cost-effectively in an environmentally friendly manner.

In many ways, 2009 will be remembered as the year of the great climate debate. Many feared that the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen at the end of last year would produce little in the way of substance but a great deal in the form of hot air. What it did in fact produce was a non-legally binding understanding between certain key nations which is widely regarded as a staging post to the next international summit meeting on climate change. What it didn’t produce was a clear mandate for IMO on how to build on the significant amount of work it has already undertaken in connection with technical, operational and economic measures to reduce emissions in the global shipping industry.

Shipping is widely acknowledged as the most carbon-efficient means of commercial transportation in the world. And IMO is widely acknowledged as the right place to create and implement binding legislation to make shipping as safe and as environmentally sympathetic as it is possible for it to be. IMO has said that it will study carefully the conclusions which emerged from the Copenhagen climate talks to see what, if any, implications they may have for shipping. It will then report to the 60th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, in March this year, so that any necessary action can be taken on a priority basis. As always, IBIA will use its observer status at IMO to help inform those proceedings, and will report back to its members as appropriate. IBIA, together with the rest of the shipping industry, is committed to following a green agenda, and members can be assured that it will continue to make an important contribution to the debate which is both in line with its environmental responsibilities and in accord with the interests of its members.

Last year also saw voting close in respect of the draft of the fourth edition of ISO8217, which could be ready for publication by June of this year. The bunkering industry has been working with ISO8217 for over four years, and the new standard for marine fuels which will emerge from the revision will affect everybody in our industry. There has been a lot of interest in and comment on the draft, and we wish the working group well as it embarks on the difficult task of taking on board all the relevant feedback and coming up with a workable standard that will benefit all concerned.

I have left housekeeping until last in my reflections on the past year, but not because it is not important. As Chairman, I have had the opportunity to see just how efficiently IBIA operates on behalf of its members. The highlight of the past year was undoubtedly our annual convention, in Singapore, and it was gratifying to learn whilst there that our members are very much in favour of IBIA qualifications. The education group is now taking this on to the next stage, and there should be further news during the course of this year.

I cannot take any credit for the excellent manner in which the Singapore event was organised, but I can say how much I enjoyed running the training course and working with an outstanding group of speakers on the conference platform. These things don’t run so smoothly without a great deal of planning, and I know that Ian Adams and his team are even now working on the next convention, to be held in Connecticut this year.

Meanwhile, February is almost upon us, and that means our annual dinner and AGM. I am looking forward to meeting our new board members, as well as all the familiar faces which one sees at the dinner, which incidentally sold out within weeks of its being announced. At the dinner, also, Mike Ball, who was elected Vice-Chairman in 2009, is getting ready to take over as your next Chairman, and I wish him every success in that role.

IBIA remains in safe hands.

Chris Fisher