News: Maritime UK publishes Maritime 2050 progress report

Maritime UK has today (25 June) published a new report assessing progress by government and industry in delivering the recommendations set out within the UK's flagship "Maritime 2050" report. 

Dear colleague,

Since the UK published its Maritime 2050 strategy in January of 2019, the world has seen a huge amount of upheaval. Though the UK’s exit from the European Union was already in train, the unprecedented outbreak of a global pandemic was soon to cause major disruptions across the sector and across the world.

And yet, despite much happening during the past two and a half years, the long-term challenges and opportunities for the sector remain very similar. In many cases, the pandemic has simply accelerated change or made the imperative to make progress that much greater. Be that the focus of society on the climate crisis or the need to provide greater support on seafarer welfare following the crew change crisis.

Whilst Maritime UK and its members have worked hard to support businesses and colleagues across the sector during the pandemic, I am pleased that the sector was able to keep its eye on Maritime 2050 and make real progress in delivering its recommendations. Such is the value that the sector attaches to the first long-term national government strategy for the maritime industries.

Following the publication of a government strategy there is always the potential for it to sit on the shelves and remain simply a document. Both industry and government have been determined that Maritime 2050 should be a different story. With a wide and diverse membership spanning across the maritime sector and across the UK, Maritime UK, its members, and the industrial community have worked closer than ever to deliver as much of the strategy’s short-term recommendations as possible. This has necessitated new working practices across the sector – encouraging a culture change that breaks down silos to make progress on common priorities – and we have taken real strides in this direction as the report demonstrates. There is much more to do, clearly, but that progress has been made across the board, should give us real cause for optimism about our sector’s future.

Whilst we have only just started on our journey to 2050, it is clear that the greatest progress has been made when we work together. Across the sector and then with government. We should take pride in what we have achieved so far, despite the greatest economic and societal shock in modern times.

To respond to the climate crisis and play our sector’s part in getting to net zero, we need to collaborate. Some may question the value in publishing a report so soon into the strategy’s life. Maritime UK believes it important to celebrate where progress has been made, to learn from those successes, and employ that collaborative approach to the biggest challenges we face – with decarbonisation at the top of the list.

Whilst so much of our potential can be realised by working within industry, there are some things that we can only do with government. I thank government departments, led by the Department for Transport, for their leadership in supporting the sector on its journey to 2050.

Together, let us rededicate ourselves to the mission of Maritime 2050 – learn the lessons of unlocking progress so far and move forward together as we recover from the pandemic with Maritime 2050 as our guide. 

Best wishes,

Sarah Kenny

Maritime UK Chair