Nor-Shipping 2027 Thought Leader: If not now, when? Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO, Sustainable Markets Initiative on the drive to decarbonise shipping

Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), is at the forefront of fighting for climate progress. As the head of King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, she faces scepticism, short-termism, and political inertia. Despite these challenges, she envisions a global push for decarbonising shipping, a key industry with a significant impact on the environment. She believes that events like Nor-Shipping are crucial in enabling this shift.

Jordan-Saifi stresses the urgency of the situation, noting that the world is regressing and that we are running out of time. She urges the private sector to take the lead in decarbonising shipping, stating that the only way forward is forward. The Sustainable Markets Initiative, launched in 2020, aims to supercharge this change, but the world is a different place now, with geopolitical and societal challenges diverting attention from long-term environmental issues.

Despite these challenges, Jordan-Saifi remains hopeful. She sees potential in regions where shipowners are eager to progress towards a net-zero future, even if the global IMO framework is fractured. She highlights the possibility of "hyper-scaling" clean solutions like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), but acknowledges the need for regulatory clarity.

Jordan-Saifi is optimistic about the progress being made by individual shipowners, who are investing in fuels like ammonia and developing dual-fuel vessels for flexibility. She also points to the growing consumer awareness and demand for sustainable products, which can put pressure on the industry to decarbonise.