Brazil seminar helps customers discuss hot issues of the day

Held in Sao Paulo, the event gave delegates an opportunity to examine what organizations, including Wallenius Wilhelmsen, are doing to reduce their emissions. It also included a session on port concessions, a prescient subject in Brazil with the country’s port authorities transitioning from public to private concessions.

Among the speakers was our SVP Sales for Americas, Flavio Batista, and Casemiro Tercio Carvalho, a partner at 4Infra and former President at Santos Port and São Sebastiao Port. Batista discussed our decarbonization plans and provided an overview of the new IMO 2023 regulations as well as a demonstration of Orcelle Wind, to highlight our sustainability ambitions. These sessions enabled customers and industry partners to engage with Wallenius Wilhelmsen executives and openly discuss the major issue of decarbonization facing the shipping industry worldwide as well as local concerns, as Batista observed.

“This was a great opportunity to bring customers and suppliers together and share with them our journey to zero emissions and to show how important it is for them to get onboard and collaborate with us,” he said.

Carvalho, who led the discussion on changes in ports concession in Brazil, explained how different governments manage port concessions around the world and how it may work in Brazil in the next few years. He commented later: “We are honored to be able to participate in this seminar and to collaborate with the logistics and maritime industry for a sustainable future.”

Delegates were keen to register their appreciation of the event, saying that the content was particularly timely as they sought ways to address their own organizations’ sustainability ambitions.

Alex Leister Michelini, Logistics Analyst South America at CNH, said the event “brought us many insights into the new profile of cargo movements around the world and about the challenges for sustainable international logistics, in line with global regulations, and keeping pace with innovation and economic viability.”

The seminar also hosted a panel debate with Gil Giardelli, professor, roboticist and author of Pensando o Impensável [Thinking the Unthinkable], Neuton Karassawa, Logistics Director at General Motors, and Danilo Ramos, Sales Director at Santos Brasil Terminal, who discussed Environmental, Social and Governance data and the innovation surrounding it as well as the need for a clean energy source, centering around electric vehicles.

Laura Ravanhani Macabeu, National Pricing Supervisor at Kuehne Nagel, described the event as “amazing”, adding that it “addressed topics of great relevance in the market, including sustainability, technology and port infrastructure. I’m proud to have this great company as a strategic partner for our business.”

Reviewing the seminar, Ana Quaresma, Wallenius Wilhelmsen VP Sales for South America, commented that the journey to zero emissions requires teamwork with many parts working together: “Collaboration between market players such as our reliable customers and providers, is key for everyone to succeed on innovation to reach our goals.

“It’s a true team effort with a strong statement of purpose – sustainable logistics for a world in motion.”