Top Page > Press Release 2024 > President & CEO Hashimoto Addresses Global Maritime Forum's 2024 Summit; Focuses on Issues Facing Shipping Industry - Participation as the Sole Summit Sponsor -

President & CEO Hashimoto Addresses Global Maritime Forum's 2024 Summit; Focuses on Issues Facing Shipping Industry
- Participation as the Sole Summit Sponsor -

October 17, 2024

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that it participated in the 2024 Summit organized by the Global Maritime Forum (GMF; headquarters: Copenhagen) (Note 1) as the sole sponsor of the event, which was held in Tokyo from October 15-17.

The summit brought together about 200 leaders from all areas of the maritime value chain, who engaged in lively discussions on decarbonization of shipping and human resources sustainability as issues that the shipping industry must unite to address.

Before the summit, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco visited MOL, where Chairman Junichiro Ikeda and others explained their company's advanced initiatives toward safe operations and decarbonization.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco inspects Dynamic Position Simulator and Safety Operation Supporting Center (SOSC) with Chairman Ikeda

The summit opened with a panel discussion, with MOL President Hashimoto taking the stage to discuss recent ESG issues (Note 2) and the overall situation surrounding the maritime industry with IMO Secretary-General Dominguez and Cargill Ocean Transportation President and GMF Chairman Jan Dieleman.

President & CEO Hashimoto speaks at the opening panel discussion

MOL Vice President Toshiaki Tanaka who serves on the GMF Advisory Board and Chief Sustainability Officer Tatsuro Watanabe, participated in plenary sessions of the Summit and joined spirited discussions with leaders from many fields on various issues surrounding the maritime industry, including decarbonization, DEI both at land and sea, biodiversity and ocean health, digitalization and AI, ship recycling and the circular economy. A briefing session was also held for the press, at which MOL Watanabe took the stage along with IMO Secretary-General Dominguez and others.

Watanabe, Chief Sustainability Officer, explains the event to the press

MOL will continue to work with the GMF and other organizations focused on the development of the shipping industry to proactively address all issues, including the decarbonization of the industry as a whole and improving the well-being of seafarers and other stakeholders.

[Summit Theme] Currents of Change
[Period] Tuesday, October 15 - Thursday, October 17, 2024
[Venue] Happo-en, Otemachi Mitsui Conference
[Summit website] Currents of Change | Global Maritime Forum

(Note 1) The Global Maritime Forum is an international non-profit organization founded in 2017 with a mission to create the future of global maritime trade. The organization brings together visionary leaders and experts to improve sustainable long-term economic development and personnel well-being.
Global Maritime Forum official website: https://globalmaritimeforum.org

(Note 2) ESG issues are challenges that companies face in the three aspects of the environment, society, and governance to realize a sustainable society and enhance corporate value.


MOL Group 5 Sustainability Issues
MOL Group identifies "Sustainability Issues" (Materiality) as our key issues for sustainable growth with society through realization of the Group Vision.
We anticipate this initiative to contribute especially to the realization of "Safety & Value -Provide added value through safe transportation and our social infrastructure business-", "Environment -Conservation for Marine and global environment-," "Human & Community -Contributing to the growth and development of people and communities-," "Innovation -Innovation for development in marine technology-."