Mark O’Neil

Mark O’Neil is the President and CEO of Columbia Group. Previously an English Army Officer and then a maritime lawyer by profession, as a Partner with Stephenson Harwood LLP and Reed Smith LLP for 17 years, Mark headed up international law firm Reed Smith LLP’s German Shipping Team, and also co-lead the firm’s Offshore Department. His clients included Ship Owners, Charterers, Insurers, Management Companies, Banks, Oil Companies and Offshore Contractors worldwide with a particular focus on the German, Scandinavian, Greek, Dutch, South American and Cypriot markets. He therefore has an in-depth knowledge of the shipping, ship management, banking and offshore sectors. 

Mark chairs and/or speaks at numerous maritime and banking conferences and seminars worldwide. He is a passionate advocate of performance optimisation, digitalisation, crew training and the Human Element within the shipping and ship management industry and regularly speaks on these matters. In December 2020 Mark was elected as President of InterManager, and is also CEO of Schoeller Holdings.

Session Overview

Wednesday, 6 November

11:00

Maritime & Logistics Conference Conference Room A 11:00 - 12:00

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Delivering a low carbon maritime future: making sense of the evolving regulations

New policy frameworks are steering the maritime industry towards net-zero, highlighted by key agreements at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The consensus from MEPC 81, on measures such as the GHG Fuel Standard and Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) framework, has set the stage for stringent regulations by 2025, aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and reducing emissions. Yet, the question remains: do these regulatory advances possess sufficient strength to propel the industry towards decarbonisation? To avoid a fragmented regulatory environment and steer towards a cohesive global approach, proactive innovation from all stakeholders to adapt to new operational realities and accountability will be essential.

Attendee insights:

Gain insights into the evolving maritime decarbonisation policy frameworks, what the industry can expect in the near-term from a regulatory perspective and how increasingly stringent measures are impacting stakeholders across the maritime value chain.