Cruise and Ferry Review - Summer/Spring 2020

1 7 8 INTERV IEW The fuel of the future Sustainability and environmentalism are changing the face of passenger shipping. Poul Woodall tells Elly-Yates-Roberts how DFDS and the wider industry are adapting L ike most other industries, the passenger shipping sector is currently facing a major shift as a result of enhanced environmental awareness. According to the UN, global concentrations of greenhouse gases have been steadily increasing in recent years. In order to avoid a climate catastrophe, countries and organisations must reach net zero emissions by 2050. “This is why we are working to reduce our impact,” says Poul Woodall, director of environmental and sustainability at DFDS. “The biggest challenge we currently face is reducing these harmful emissions.” The Danish shipping company is already operating in line with many of the industry’s stringent regulations to reduce its impact. “We have had no issues with implementing the IMO’s 0.5% global sulphur cap in January 2020,” says Woodall. “In fact, two thirds of our fleet already sail within the Sulphur Emission Control Areas which have been highly regulated since 2015, so we have welcomed the new restrictions.” “The perfect fuel will require significant investments from players across the industry”