by Przemysław Myszka
Welcome to the year 2022, in all likelihood sponsored by the letters 'H' and 'I' as in "high inflation." By adding 'U' for "unemployment," we would venture back in time to the early 1990s in Poland and other former Iron Curtain countries, the time of my childhood, so perhaps the current state of affairs isn't so dreary. Some may even find it encouraging to acquaint themselves with the letter 'F' as in "frugalness." Then again, others might choose to Don't Look Up (a highly recommended movie, terrifyingly realistic in parodying the modern world). As such, other letters of the alphabet can come in handy over the coming months, too, like 'V' for "vigilance" or 'M' for "mindfulness," you know, overall 'S'teadfastness in separating the wheat from the chaff.
Amidst the twists & turns of media coverage that more often than not sets the heather on fire (for monetary purposes, what else), maybe it is sensible to throttle back and look at what we as the Baltic transport & logistics industry achieved last year. This way, we can perhaps disperse the negativity and take heart that we are moving in the right direction. The year's starting issue traditionally hosts a round-up of the regional highlights, this time around heavily dominated by the decarbonisation trend in its various shapes and forms.
Sure, transportation won't be humankind's saviour in tackling climate change. That said, our sector has got its homework to do. However, the industry is by no means a monolith. There are different narratives out there. Fortunately enough, we managed to onboard the Global Shippers Forum to fill us in on the hows and whys of shipping change in 2022. Climate change and the extreme weather events it increasingly brings about is, in turn, explained insurance-wise by our friends from TT Club. We are also in a jubilant mood to welcome Lloyd's Register, ZeroNorth, and Airseas, all of them explaining the various ways of decarbonising shipping. In the EU, the sector's fate is at stake, with parties from across the board engaged in a heated debate about the fundamentals of shipping's inclusion in the block's Emission Trading System (more about it in the What's in the Cabinet column). On this topic, we feature a piece from Transport & Environment that dwells into the possibility of evasive port calls in the Baltic. A bit on the future blue economy tops the eco-focused theme off, a proposal to reconcile the various human interests with those of the environment.
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted transportation in many ways, but certainly, e-commerce can feel as having picked the winning lottery ticket. Roland Slegers-Leijsten, author of the recently released e-Commerce Logistics in Europe: Integrate or Stagnate, explains the implications it has for the logistics players that serve this rapidly budding market. Au contraire, some may cut their (maintenance and repair) logistics needs by turning to 3D-printed parts. FORCE Technology was bold enough to imagine and then print a propeller blade and compare it with one made classically.
Finally, Transport miscellany with its touch of fine marine art (plus video games, garbage dump-soon-green urban centre, and zeppelins). Oh, and a critical, if not bashing, Collector's corner. Mark my words, nobody can expect to receive a favourable tariff when postal stamps on historical events are concerned!
Download PDF