The ‘Maritime Just Transition Task Force’ is spearheading an unprecedented initiative, which is paving the way for training of seafarers in new fuels as the maritime industry is taking steps to decarbonise.

Set up during COP 26 in Glasgow in 2021, by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to ensure that shipping’s response to the climate emergency puts seafarers at the heart of the solution, supported by globally established Just Transition principles.

Seafarers are the lifeblood of global commerce as 90% of the world’s goods are transported by shipping. We are all deeply dependent on the labour of seafarers. Despite the importance of their work seafarers are rarely spotlighted as key workers.

The Maritime Just Transition Task Force brings together the employers (ICS) and the workers (ITF) who are united by a common goal of delivering a Just Transition, which is a people-centred response to the climate crisis.  

Read more about the Just Transition here

Recommendations on How to Support Seafarers as Shipping moves to Decarbonize

• The world’s nearly 2 million seafarers are key to powering this industry through a successful transition to net zero. Seafarers will need adequate skills, education, and training, to operate new technology systems on board and to manage new fuels, such as ammonia and hydrogen, which unless properly handled could represent a significant health and safety risk for seafarers, ships, the environment and communities.

Insights into Seafarer Training and Skills Needed to Support a Decarbonized Shipping Industry 

• With future alternative fuel technologies, such as renewable e-fuels, biofuels and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage, expected to introduce new training requirements for seafarers, the Task Force Secretariat (ICS, ITF and UN Global Compact) commissioned a major report from classification Society ‘DNV’, to explore how best to support seafarers during the transition and to provide an overview of the challenges that training seafarers throughout the transition will entail.

• The report, which provides “Insights into seafarer training and skills needed to support a decarbonized shipping industry”, models three emission reduction scenarios to estimate the number of seafarers requiring additional training to handle alternative fuels up to 2050. All three scenarios highlight an immediate need to start putting the seafarer training infrastructure in place.
• The report concluded that a lack of clarity about viability and uptake of alternative fuel options, as well as uncertainty surrounding regulatory developments and financing, is making it difficult to plan effectively for the transition of the maritime workforce and to attract investment towards new skills programmes, compatible with the industry’s needs for a decarbonised future.

Mapping a Maritime Just Transition for Seafarers – A 10 point action plan 

• Informed by the findings of the DNV report, the Maritime Just Transition Task Force Secretariat (in consultation with other Task Force Members, IMO and ILO) developed a forward looking 10-point-action plan for international organizations, industry, workers and academia (including training providers), setting out concrete recommendations to unlock the seafarer skills needed to support shipping’s decarbonisation goals. The position paper on ‘Mapping a Maritime Just Transition for Seafarers’ can be accessed here. 

Training for Decarbonization

The IMO Secretariat and the MJTTF Secretariat have initiated a joint project to support the improvement of seafarers’ competence about the use of the new alternative fuels, which are currently not covered by the STCW convention. 

1.Generic competency standards for the use of methanol, hydrogen and ammonia as fuels 

Input to IMO processes: 

• Input to a separate agenda item at IMO HTW11 in February 2025 for consideration by IMO Member States and  industry stakeholders. 
• The project outcome will feed into IMO’s comprehensive STCW review, which is done in parallel. 

2. Training framework and learning material: 

• Generic training material and a programme for all seafarers on awareness. 
• Advanced training material and a programme for officers responsible for operations related to the use of alternative fuels on vessels 

3. Instructor handbook 

• Train-the-trainer course and materials to support the roll-out of the new training materials.

4. Roll-out of train-the-trainer programme trial 

• Carried out in Asia by World Maritime University with the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre.

Competency and training risk workshops for technical input from experts have been conducted for all three fuels 

The workshops identified levels of change needed to accommodate alternative fuels with regards to competence and training 

Participants included: 

• Shipowners
• Operators
• Fuel suppliers
• Engine manufacturers
• Bunkering experts
• Training competencies experts
  

A broad action group made up of a range of industry experts will review the outcome as the taskforce values and understands the importance of social dialogue.

The outcome of the recommended competency framework will be submitted to HTW11 to the IMO.

Task Force Partners

Training for Decarbonisation Action Group 

Get Involved 

If you would like to get involved in the taskforce as a project partner or supporter or would like to gain more information please contact:

Kjersti Aass 

Program Manager
United Nations Global Compact 
Ocean Stewardship Coalition
kjersti@oceanstewardshipcoalition.org

Alishba Zaman 

Project Coordinator 
United Nations Global Compact 
Ocean Stewardship Coalition 
alishba@oceanstewardshipcoalition.org