Investors, regulators, and port authorities are no longer satisfied with a clean bill of lading alone — they increasingly expect proof that a shipping company manages its environmental footprint, its people, and its governance responsibly. The Shipping Sustainability and ESG Governance Excellence Training Course by Arab British Fellowship Training Academy was built around this shift, giving maritime professionals a practical route to building credible ESG programmes rather than a theoretical introduction to the concept. The course sits within Shipping, Maritime and Ports Training Courses and was designed under the Management category.

Rather than starting from definitions, the programme works backward from the outcomes shipping companies actually need: reliable ESG data, defensible reports, and governance structures that hold up to scrutiny from charterers, lenders, and regulators. Delegates leave with practical tools to measure performance, prepare sustainability reports, manage regulatory expectations, and align daily operations with international maritime ESG standards.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain why ESG governance now shapes financing, chartering, and regulatory decisions in shipping.
• Build governance structures and reporting lines that support credible ESG reporting.
• Apply international ESG standards and frameworks to maritime operations.
• Turn raw operational data into KPIs that measure environmental and social performance.
• Identify and manage the ESG-related risks specific to shipping companies.
• Integrate sustainability targets into fleet strategy and day-to-day management decisions.
• Communicate ESG performance to investors, regulators, and other stakeholders with confidence.

Target Audience

• Shipping company executives and senior managers.
• ESG, sustainability, and corporate governance professionals.
• Environmental and regulatory compliance officers.
• Maritime operations and risk management staff.
• Finance and reporting teams preparing sustainability disclosures.
• Consultants supporting maritime ESG and sustainability initiatives.

Module 1: Why ESG Now Drives Competitive Advantage in Shipping

• The business case for ESG in maritime finance and chartering decisions.
• How regulators, lenders, and investors evaluate shipping companies today.
• Current trends and pressure points in maritime sustainability.

Module 2: Governance Structures and Regulatory Compliance for Shipping Fleets

• Principles of environmental governance in shipping organisations.
• Building governance structures and accountability lines.
• Meeting environmental policies and regulatory compliance obligations.

Module 3: Designing ESG Reporting Frameworks That Meet International Standards

• International ESG reporting standards and frameworks for shipping.
• Materiality assessment and stakeholder expectations.
• Preparing transparent, reliable, and audit-ready reports.

Module 4: Turning Data into ESG Performance Insights and Risk Controls

• ESG performance metrics and key performance indicators.
• Identifying and managing ESG risks within maritime operations.
• Data collection, analysis, and continuous improvement of ESG performance.

Module 5: Embedding Sustainability into Fleet Strategy and Operations

• Developing organisational sustainability strategy.
• Integrating sustainability into daily maritime operations.
• Setting sustainability objectives and measuring long-term impact.

Module 6: Leading Change — Stakeholder Trust and ESG Leadership

• Communicating ESG performance to investors and regulators.
• Building stakeholder confidence through transparent reporting.
• Leading ESG transformation and embedding it into corporate culture.