The Just Transition: reasons for research

In September 2024, the Nautilus Federation is launching the findings of a major research project on seafarers' views around decarbonisation and automation. Sarah Robinson hears how the study was developed and what it was aiming to discover

In a global industry like shipping, international cooperation is essential to stand up for seafarers' rights, and cooperation doesn't come much better than the Nautilus Federation. A group of 22 like-minded maritime unions – including Nautilus International – the Federation runs the joint legal support scheme JASON to help seafarers get justice around the world, and has carried out valuable research on automation and criminalisation.

Last year, the Federation turned its attention to the issue of the 'Just Transition' – the concept of ensuring seafarers get a fair deal on safety and training as shipping switches to new, greener fuels. A research project that was to become Mapping Our Maritime Future was agreed in October 2023 at the Federation's board meeting in Liverpool, says Danny McGowan, head of international relations at Nautilus International.

How the research came about

'We had been speaking about the Just Transition for quite a period,' Mr McGowan recalls, 'and we knew that the industry had been doing a fair bit of work on alternative fuels and new energy sources. And then we were looking at it from our perspective as unions representing maritime professionals to say, well, where's our voice in this? And where are the voices of seafarers?

'This is pretty much a new industrial revolution for our industry. We need to be sure that our members don't just have this happening around them, but are part of this change, and are considered from the very beginning, right through to the very end of this transition.

'So we decided at the Nautilus Federation meeting to undertake this piece of research, to get the views of our members and influence the work that we do in this area in the coming months and years.'

Developing the survey

Nautilus International's communications campaigns organiser Robert Murtagh then became involved in the project, working with colleagues to shape the research questions and set up and publicise an online survey for members of Nautilus Federation affiliate unions.

'One of the more existential questions we had was, do our members know what the Just Transition is?' he notes. 'Are they aware of the concept? And if they are aware, what is their understanding? And so the survey was created with those questions in mind, as we're really keen to make sure we're not talking about it in a vacuum.'

The message to participants was: ‘We want to hear from you. Tell us what your views are, tell us what you know. And then we will action that and advocate that on your behalf’

Another important question was whether participants thought the International Maritime Organization's 2050 decarbonisation goals are realistic, adds Mr McGowan. 'Did they think it's something that can actually happen in the next 20 or 30 years? We also asked some questions on automation and technological change. We asked about participants' desires for the future and the skills and training that would be needed – and who should be paying for this.'

Taking part in the survey

Once the questions had been agreed, the online survey was then publicised via email to members of all Nautilus Federation unions. The message to participants, says Mr Murtagh, was: 'We want to hear from you. Tell us what your views are, tell us what you know. And then we will act on that and advocate that on your behalf.'

Nearly 1,000 maritime professionals from around the world ended up taking part in the research, giving their opinions on the roles of seafarers, employers and governments in the decarbonisation of the industry.

The research findings

The analysis of the data gathered in the survey was carried out during the summer of 2024, and is now being published in the Nautilus Federation report Mapping Our Maritime Future, which is available for free download in the Resources sections of the Nautilus International and Nautilus Federation websites.

For Danny McGowan, there were some particular highlights. 'One thing that really stood out for me is that the survey respondents didn't think that net zero by 2050 was an achievable goal. The people on the ground, the people that are keeping the ships going, the masters on the bridge, the officers, the engineers, they're not seeing the goals translated into action. If the people who are at the coalface aren't buying into this target, then non-achievement could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

'And then the wider question comes of what we as unions should be doing to make sure that companies that are decarbonising are communicating with their workforce, that seafarers and those working on the vessels are part of these plans to decarbonise – because there are going to be impacts on their working lives.'

Mr McGowan believes the other key findings were around skills and training. 'What we can see from the survey is that this issue is absolutely at the heart of the of the decarbonisation agenda, which is making sure that our members have the skills to meet the needs of the industry of the future. I think there were 40% of respondents who said they didn't feel they had enough information to understand the industry's transition to alternative fuels and technology. So there's some really stark data points coming out of that.'

Next steps

The Mapping Our Maritime Future report is being officially launched via a webinar on 18 September 2024, and all members of Nautilus Federation affiliate unions are invited. 'We'll be asking members to share the report as widely as possible, in order to provide much-needed evidence to underpin decarbonisation initiatives,' notes Mr McGowan. 'We will also be sharing it with the International Transport Workers' Federation, who are doing some work on this subject, and we hope the report will support them in their efforts as well.

'It's important for people to see that the report doesn't just contain invaluable data, but also recommendations. So at Nautilus International and other Nautilus Federation unions, we will all be working hard with employers, governments and international regulatory bodies to get those recommendations put into action.'

• Read the report Mapping Our Maritime Future in the Resources sections of the Nautilus International and Nautilus Federation websites