ATHENS — Europe itself "has not understood that shipping is one of the greatest – if not the greatest – strategic weapons it has: It owns 40 pct of the global fleet," Lavinia Corporation & Laskaridis Shipping CEO Panos Laskaridis said on Monday at a panel at the Delphi Economic Forum VI held out of Zappion Hall in Athens.

The international conference of May 10-15 is under the aegis of President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and Athens-Macedonian News Agency is a communications sponsor (see www.amna.gr/delphi-VI).

The panel titled "Greek Shipping in the 21st Century: Prospects, Challenges and the Strive for Excellence" (in Greece), included shipowners Laskaridis, Thanasis Martinos (Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd) and Anthony S. Papadimitriou (Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation) discussed the challenges Greek shipping faced in the 21st century, particularly in terms of climate change. The session was moderated by journalist Maria Nikoltsou.

In discussion about climate change, Martinos said the goal was to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 pct by 2030 and by half by 2050, while Capital Maritime & Traditing head Evangelos Marinakis said that "there is no future in tankers," and the sector should "be investing in other types of ships" that run on green energy instead.