Dr. Anil Sharma, President and CEO of GMS, has, for the thirteenth straight year in a row, been listed in the annual Lloyd’s List Top 100 Most Influential People in the Shipping Industry 2022. Dr. Sharma is one of only seven people worldwide who have been featured consecutively in all 13 editions of the Top 100 and received such international acclaim.
This sustained success comes as GMS celebrates 30 years as an innovator in ship recycling and acknowledges the fundamental impact that GMS has had, and continues to have, on this rapidly evolving sector. In a traditionalist industry, Dr. Sharma is viewed by many as a visionary and insightful leader. His aspiration for the industry to embrace the responsible recycling agenda is widely recognized.
Dr. Sharma was the first to coin the term ‘Ship Recycling’ (previously known as scrapping/breaking) almost two decades ago. Under his leadership, GMS played a significant role in adopting the Hong Kong Convention by participating in various deliberations and site visits organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO). It is no surprise that Lloyd’s List has described him as a ‘driving force’ for change.
Dr. Anil Sharma said, “I am grateful for being included in this List of influential people in shipping. My thanks go to the editorial board at Lloyd’s List, who expend significant time and energy in assessing candidates. Since inclusion in this List is based solely upon tangible actions, it is particularly satisfying that our efforts to make shipping greener have been recognized again in such a public forum. Green Ship recycling is a critical element of a ‘Circular Economy’ and significantly reduces GHG emissions.
Echoing my comments of last year, it remains this generation’s sacred responsibility to create a more sustainable shipping industry and to contribute to the common goal of decarbonization and a greener sustainable planet. It is a source of immense pride that the collaboration between GMS and all stakeholders continues to improve safety and environmental standards for the workers working in recycling yards and the surrounding ecosystem.”
Dr. Sharma’s green legacy at GMS continues with the Sustainable Ship and Offshore Recycling Programme (SSORP), the world’s only green ship recycling compliance-monitoring system to have been verified and validated by LRQA. Lloyd’s List wrote: ‘SSORP has helped educate the shipping industry about the numerous risks of recycling ships and provides GMS’ team of experts to shipowners for monitoring the entire recycling process.’
Lloyd’s List also quoted Dr. Sharma’s determination to significantly expand the fleet at Lila Global (GMS’ ship owning arm) by 2025. By optimizing the operation of ships that are 15 years and above by age, Dr. Sharma believes that optimizing the operation of ships that are 15 years and extending their life, instead of recycling them, can reduce GHG emissions by not replacing these vessels with new buildings until new technology to use modern non-fossil fuels is widely available.
After three decades of innovation and recycling more ships than any other entity in history, Dr. Sharma continues to lead GMS into a new era of ESG-compliant issues for vintage vessels.
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
