On the occasion of the Maritime Economy Conference which is being held in Bordeaux on November 19 and 20, 2024, Fabrice Loher, Minister Delegate for the Sea and Fisheries, and Nathalie Mercier-Perrin, president of the French maritime cluster (CMF), presented the update of the decarbonization roadmap for the maritime sector. The cornerstone of the joint work carried out by the sector and the State in order to mobilize and unite all the players in the value chain, this roadmap aims to define the concrete trajectory to achieve carbon neutrality in the sector in 2050. .
The roadmap for decarbonization of the maritime sector is the result of joint work between private and public actors, co-led by the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) and the cluster maritime français (CMF), supported by the expertise of the MEET2050 Institute. It meets a legislative requirement for sectors that emit high levels of greenhouse gases: identifying the path to follow to achieve their eco-energy transition. In its initial version of April 2023, the roadmap set out essential findings for the French fleet, identifying brakes and levers for decarbonization as well as a primary action plan.
The updated version presented at the 2024 Maritime Economy Conference deepens the analysis by exploring, on the basis of more precise and robust data, the specific needs of certain fleet segments. Thanks to this new targeted in-depth and modeling exercise, carried out by shipowners under the leadership of Armateurs de France (AdF), technological, energy and operational solutions are emerging for each fleet segment concerned. They will make it possible to anticipate international and European regulatory requirements, the ambition of which continues to strengthen.
This work is essential so that the French maritime sector continues to represent, for our country and in the world, a major economic and sovereignty asset while maintaining a very high level of environmental integrity. It is part of a more global approach to ecological and energy planning from which it is inseparable, and allows private and public decision-makers to have an updated, quantified and achievable action plan.
The technical, technological, industrial, financial, administrative and legal challenges faced by stakeholders in the maritime sector are numerous. Without a global and concerted vision, the eco-energy transition will be compromised, if not impossible. The roadmap constitutes the preferred tool to overcome this difficulty and make carbon neutrality achievable in 2050.
Nathalie MERCIER-PERRIN, president of the CMF, declared: “I am proud to see our updated roadmap, the result of remarkable collective work. This document is much more than just a roadmap; it is a compass that guides us towards a more sustainable maritime future. Together, we have reached a decisive milestone and demonstrated our commitment to decarbonizing our sector. The challenges are great, but our determination is even greater.”
Fabrice LOHER, Minister Delegate for the Sea and Fisheries, declared: “For the past year, my ministry has been working with the entire sector to deploy and bring to life this remarkable tool that is the roadmap for the decarbonization of the maritime sector. This issue is everyone's business, not just the State! It now involves all players in the value chain, whether they are manufacturers, energy companies, ports or shipowners. I would particularly like to thank the French Maritime Cluster, the Shipbuilding Industries Group (GICAN), Armateurs de France and the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) for their unwavering commitment to this construction site. Decarbonization is now!”
Press release from the Ministry of the Sea
