After laying the groundwork in its first two seasons, Navigating Zero returns for Season 3, with a bold new focus: rebuilding the maritime ecosystem from within. We’ve identified the origins of the zero carbon movement, and the engines of change; now it’s time to make new connections, to transform our industry.

In this season opener, host Lora Jakobsen, Chief Sustainability Officer at ZeroNorth, speaks with Julian Bray, Editor-in-Chief of Tradewinds and Publisher at Dagens Næringsliv. With decades of experience shaping the conversation around global shipping, Julian offers a unique vantage point on the maritime industry's ongoing evolution.

In our conversation today, we offer a picture of the current maritime landscape, with its innovations and challenges, and define what we need to navigate what Julian calls the “age of uncertainty.”

This episode explores what's fundamentally new in future-proofing strategies compared to five years ago. We unpack how the shipping industry is responding to turbulence: from geopolitical instability and supply chain disruptions to the urgent push for emission cuts; and Julian explains how resilience has taken on new meaning for the industry, shifting from simply weathering market cycles to adapting to regulatory, technological, and financial complexity.

He also highlights the importance of making a clear business case for sustainability, and the critical role cargo owners will play in accelerating real change.

Along the way, we also discuss the impact of eco zones and the so-called “dark fleet” on global trade routes, and what the next 15 years of maritime trade could look like as retrofitting, automation, and cultural change take hold.

Tune into this wide-ranging and pragmatic conversation to find out why uncertainty can be an opportunity.

About Julian Bray: LinkedIn

About TradeWinds: Website

About Zero North: Website

About Lora Jakobsen: LinkedIn

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Sources:

Nor Shipping 2025: International Shipping at the Crossroads of Geopolitics and Green Transition - TO BHMA International Edition
Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ will prove resilient - Oxford Analytica