Jan Kopernicki elected as the new President of the Chamber of Shipping
25 March 2010
Jan Kopernicki has today, Thursday 25 March 2010, been invested as president of the Chamber of Shipping, the trade association for the British Shipping industry.
Mr Kopernicki is a member of the Shell Trading Executive Committee and a Director of Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited.
Michael Parker, Chairman of the UK holding company for CMA CGM and its UK subsidiary MacAndrews & Co Limited, has been appointed Vice-President of the Chamber of Shipping.
The elections of the new president and vice-president were made at the Chamber’s Annual General Meeting and were followed by a key note speech from the new president to mark the start of his term of office.
Mr Kopernicki began by pointing out that 2010, as the International Maritime Organisation Year of the Seafarer, was a special year for global shipping and a year to recognise the incalculable debt the industry, governments and consumers all owe to seafarers everywhere.
Turning to his presidency, Mr Kopernicki stated that his main goal throughout his term would be to increase government and industry understanding of shipping's importance to the UK economy and to the critical needs of the country.
He went on to identify three key dimensions which he would be focusing on; security, trade and the environment.
He commented that trade security “is under threat in many places. Piracy is a long-running sore in Somalia, and growing off the West coast of Africa. Resolving this challenge depends heavily on collaboration – by governments, national and international organisations, industry and the military.”
Mr Kopernicki noted that more than 90 per cent of all goods traded by the UK travel by sea. In terms of our energy supplies, gas increasingly comes to the UK by sea, in the form of liquefied natural gas and LNG’s share of the national energy mix could rise from 1% to 35% by 2020. Alongside this, some 18 million containers will make over 200 million trips this year and cruise ships will carry 18 million passengers around the globe.
“Today, this nation is still pre-eminent in maritime services – including shipping finance, insurance, brokerage, law and shipping itself,” he pointed out. “There is competition from other centres, but London remains the final point of reference in most maritime matters.
“I see the Chamber of Shipping playing a vital role in helping to maintain that pre-eminence, by engaging on today's issues. Especially, we must focus on ensuring that the tax regime and the employment regime, support the needs of the industry and its workers.”
Finally, Mr Kopernicki acknowledged that while shipping is the most carbon-friendly means of transporting the world’s trade, new solutions to current environmental issues facing the industry were urgently needed.
Coming from the energy industry, he added that he was extremely conscious of the global challenges posed by carbon and other emissions, and said that the Chambers’ ongoing commitment to positive action on carbon – specifically a trading system that puts a value on carbon – would be a top priority for 2010.
Addressing the subject of ballast water management and the practical issues surrounding sulphur emissions, together with the resulting economic realities for the short-sea and passenger sectors, would also be key areas of work.
The new president concluded with a statement of his commitment in the year ahead to the promotion of joint action – with the UK Government, with the IMO, within Maritime UK and within the Chamber itself – to “bring out the best in British shipping” and specifically to enhance maritime security, the pre-eminence of maritime London and the importance of Maritime UK, and to bring environmental solutions.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Claire Sneddon, Chamber of Shipping
020 7417 2888