Dealing with Decarbonisation Technostress

A Webinar from the North West England and North Wales Branch of the Nautical Institute

Hosted by Branch Hon. Secretary Dr Chris Haughton EdD MA BA Master Mariner QTLS PGCC Cert.Ed. FNI FIMarEST FSET, Independent Education Consultant, Facilitator, and Coach

The maritime sector is decarbonising. New or revised operating procedures help enormously towards this - for example, slow-steaming, just-in-time arrivals, and cold-ironing - but by far the most important contributor is the acceleration in the adoption of new, cleaner fuels to reduce ships’ emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG).

In 2023 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced their GHG Strategy which is to halve GHG emissions from ships by 2050. Supported widely by the maritime community, many stakeholders are moving more quickly than this, and some industry pundits believe that sociopolitical, commercial, and technological drivers may speed up the timeframe.

In this rapid pursuit of decarbonisation and technical change, the fundamental burden for implementation of the new technologies falls squarely on the seafarer. While there is evidence that many seafarers see the wider benefits accruing from decarbonisation, there are also some indications that there are some aspects that give cause for concern. ‘Technostress’ is not a new term, but its relevance to our sector at this time has brought it to the forefront. This webinar will define some of the terms and outline the problem along with a few initiatives that may help.

Today’s speaker…

Chris’ seafaring experience included dry cargo ships; bulkers; product tankers; a ro-ro and container ship; reefers; a VLCC; a livestock carrier; the QE2; and, finally, cross-channel ferries, including the HoFE. He came ashore with a Master’s ticket in 1988 to teach at Fleetwood in the UK. Following stints as Deputy MD at Videotel, and then in the Management School at Lancaster University, he started his own consultancy. Chris facilitates face-to-face bespoke, L&D programmes, is an Associate Tutor for the MLA College in Plymouth and has been an External Examiner in all the major English maritime colleges. He also writes curriculum for multi-media productions and delivers public speaking courses. He strives to inspire others to embrace life-long, reflective learning. And by that process, to maximise potential, extend personal boundaries - and have some fun along the way. He's been honoured to be the Branch Secretary for four years.

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