Identifying priorities for maritime decarbonisation

Capacity building workshop addresses challenges

EGYPT: Capacity-building efforts to strengthen Egypt’s maritime decarbonisation journey was prioritised at a workshop to facilitate stakeholder dialogue within the country’s maritime transport and logistics sector last week.

Co-organised with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) GreenVoyage 2050 Programme, the session was attended by representatives from Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy were joined by key stakeholders from the Suez Canal Authority, Suez Canal Economic Zone, regional governorates, shipping companies, ports, fuel suppliers and training institutions.

The GreenVoyage2050 team shared expertise on NAP development and showcased case studies from partner countries, offering valuable insights for Egypt's roadmap. Breakout sessions on shipping, ports, and energy highlighted sector-specific challenges and opportunities, with cross-cutting discussions on finance, regulation, and capacity building.

The workshop concluded with a commitment to continue inter-agency cooperation and stakeholder engagement in the formulation of the NAP. A draft framework is expected to be shared for consultation later this year.

“This workshop marks a new phase of collaboration to drive maritime decarbonization in Egypt, focusing on practical steps towards a cleaner and more sustainable shipping sector,” said Rear Admiral Sherif Zakaria, Deputy Head of Maritime Transport and Logistics Sector

Subaskar Sitsabeshan, Programme Officer at IMO's GreenVoyage2050 Programme, said: “Egypt's leadership in green shipping, anchored by the Suez Canal, has the power to shape sustainable trade routes far beyond its borders. This transition is a strategic economic opportunity that can attract investment, build capacity, and strengthen the resilience of Egypt's maritime sector.”

GreenVoyage2050 Programme

GreenVoyage2050 is a major technical cooperation programme initiated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to assist developing countries in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping, in line with the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy.

Now in its second phase (2024–2030), GreenVoyage2050 is supporting partner countries in developing National Action Plans (NAPs) -including Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico and Nigeria -as well as implementing pilot projects in Türkiye, India, Indonesia and Viet Nam to test solutions for reducing GHG emissions from ships.

Leveraging funding from the Governments of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, the GreenVoyage2050 Programme continues to expand, with new countries added each year. The next open call for countries to join GreenVoyage2050 will be announced by the third quarter of 2025.