Reviews of the Book:

“A timely, expertly written contribution on arguably shipping’s greatest change of the last 100 years.” 

— Sam Chambers, Splash

“Pablo Rodas-Martini has succeeded in turning what could easily have been a dry, technical book intended solely for maritime industry specialists into fascinating and important reading for the layperson and specialist alike. Highly recommended.” 

— Peter Stewart, Port and Terminal

“Pablo captures the eminent spirit of truth for the world’s greatest industry to step forward and do its part to mitigate carbon and other toxic substances produced while delivering goods and services to people in the furthest reaches of the globe.  Without shipping – there is no global trade, commerce or international resolve to improve the wherewithal of humanity overall. I’m proud of the global shipping community and the member states of the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization for stepping up and facilitating a responsible effort to initiate carbon neutral trade. Thank you, Pablo for capturing the very relevant and substantive efforts through your wonderful book – ‘IMO 2020 – A Regulatory Tsunami’.” 

— Captain Eric R. Dawicki, Northeast Maritime Institute, College of Maritime Science

“This book is a brilliant overview of IMO 2020 because it provides a clear analysis of the new regulations – why they have been introduced, the key challenges that come along with them and what the future may hold for the industry. In doing so, Pablo Rodas-Martini has positioned IMO 2020 as the next stage – or revolution - in the campaign to decarbonize the global economy, describing it as ‘a pencil drawing to a painting or a plaster cast to a sculpture on marble’.This story includes the maritime industry’s previous major steps forward, including the substitution of coal for oil, the fuel now largely prohibited across the world’s oceans. As well as that, it is a fascinating foresight into how IMO 2020 will be enforced and the effects on wider industrial ecosystems.IMO 2020 has been one of the most anticipated regulations this century and will have a broad range of implications across the industry, from ships to ports and the coastal cities. It is for that very reason insights such as the one Rodas-Martini has offered are so critical. The driver behind all success is information and how best to use it. If the maritime industry’s stakeholders know the how, when and why of IMO 2020, they will be prepared to prosper in the future.” 

— Maximilian Schwerdtfeger, Port Technology International  

“Rodas-Martini’s central thesis is expertly developed and clearly identifies the monumental task facing the industry in achieving the objectives of IMO 2020. In a rollercoaster world of climate change and increased public pressure, Rodas-Martini has provided clarity to an issue where many have failed to appreciate both its importance and the seismic shift required in order to achieve its intended outcome. This work is vividly and insightfully told, and makes essential reading for those in the maritime industry.”  

— Graham Fisher, The Shipping Exchange

“Meeting sustainability goals in an interconnected, fast-changing world powered by digital transformation is linked to addressing the challenges ahead. In an engaging, story-telling format, Pablo Rodas-Martini comprehensively provides the reader with historical context and background information that motivated the launch of the IMO 2020 regulation, its expected impact, and relevant concerns while showcasing its potential to act as a blueprint towards the decarbonization of the maritime industry.”

— Stellios Stratidakis, MarineTraffic

“‘IMO 2020: A Regulatory Tsunami’ delivers a critical analysis of the international maritime regulation from its conception to implementation. Described by Rodas-Martini as a regulation that “sets a pace that will not stop from now on,” the author takes a historical approach to analyse how this dramatic change in regulation will impact the future of the global shipping industry. Both informative and engaging, Rodas-Martini provides relevant insight into the key trends he foresees in 2020, the certainties and uncertainties of the regulation, and its link to shipping’s decarbonisation, delivering an essential tool to help shipping navigate one of its toughest regulatory challenges to date.”

— Fiona Macdonald, Digital Ship

“After full reading of the book titled ‘IMO 2020: A REGULATORY TSUNAMI’ by Dr. Pablo Rodas-Martini I noticed the quality of his writing through a Historical Flashback (1919) to IMO 2020 and the much debated Sulphur Cap. Dr. Pablo Rodas-Martini presents a comprehensive analysis of IMO2020, its universal adoption by the ship-owners and Maritime Community, the use of LNG as the 5th element and is a handbook worth reading by researchers and maritime stakeholders. It is a comprehensive environmental approach for Maritime Industry. Dr. Pablo Rodas-Martini offers information that is important adding quality to our topic. It is an insightful book, helping you understand the New Green Maritime Era.”

— Apostolos Panos, Nafsgreen Shipping News

“A well-researched book in which Mr Rodas-Martini begins with a nice history of shipping, from the use of coal to the transition of oil and up to IMO 2020. The reader will appreciate Mr. Rodas-Martini’s explanation and analysis of what IMO 2020 is, the pros and cons of it and what the outlook may bring.”

— Cathy Morrow Roberson, Logistics Trend & Insights

“The maritime sector has made a New Year’s resolution: cutting sulphur emissions and thereby preventing the premature deaths of over half a million people. Will IMO 2020 be sufficiently enforced across the world? What will be the final cost? After a brilliant introduction set in 1919, Pablo Rodas-Martini takes us through the inception of the regulation before he opens Pandora’s jar and releases the worst-case scenarios that may occur because of it. That’s right, a jar. Well-documented and concise, this book will bring you up to speed with that historical decision everyone has been talking about … at least in our business.”

— Sven Goyvaerts, Program Manager PortXL Antwerp

“Pablo Rodas-Martini’s book ‘IMO 2020: A Regulatory Tsunami’ takes us on journey through previous regulations that have impacted shipping and also how we arrived at the current imposition of IMO 2020. In my opinion, his thoughts on the missed opportunities in the processes and guidelines that culminated in IMO 2020 should have a strong bearing on how the regulation of the decarbonisation in shipping is achieved.” 

— Craig Jallal, Maritime Journalist

“The IMO’s Sulphur Cap 2020 is viewed as a paradigm shift in maritime fuels. Added to this, the uncertainty related to fuel quality & availability, uniform enforcement and verification, means that it is not just another regulatory requirement; it is a complex challenge. By comparing seminal work of Hurley a century ago, Dr. Pablo provides an understanding on the various critical issues faced by sector today as an outcome of IMO 2020. Written in simple and stimulating manner the book is a good reading for those engaged in maritime industry.”

— Captain Sukhjit Singh, Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre

“I think this book would help to better understand the importance of IMO 2020, which is impacting the entire maritime ecosystem. One of the things that was especially interesting for me to learn was the fact that more than 80% of scrubbers installed by early December 2019, were open-loop without a serious research the sequences of SOx release to the oceans. Another important issue discussed in the book is a risk of incompatibility of the new recipes of VLSFO, which could damage the engines. The author’s enthusiasm for the topic is obvious throughout the book. The book is well-referenced, making skillful use of first-person sources.”

— Gregory Shahnovsky, Modcon Systems

“A very comprehensive guide to everything around IMO2020, from the era of coal to the present and even the near future.  Highly recommended for everyone who wants to learn more on the subject.”

— Dan Veen, We4Sea

“I very much enjoyed reading ‘IMO 2020 - A Regulatory Tsunami’ by Pablo Rodas-Martini, and learned new things I hadn’t been aware of. The draft I reviewed had cover artwork based on one of my favourite illustrations, the Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai - a pleasing sign that I was about to read something of value and impact. The first fifth of the manuscript contrasts IMO 2020 & the regulatory background to the introduction of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) with the transition from coal to oil in shipping a century ago - as a Welshman living in a former coal valley I was very aware of the profound consequences for the terrestrial economy as well as the maritime from changes in the fuel mix in use at sea, and could see that the changes now underway will eventually have profound impacts on the wider economy - how for example will diesel prices for land transport be affected by demand from ships for similar high-quality fuel? Valuable points are made about the stress faced by crews as IMO 2020 comes into force, and how individuals could be under threat of prosecution & loss of employment as they juggle with local enforcement authorities, access to clean fuels, pressure from ship owners & flag states, and the reliability or otherwise of scrubber systems. The author makes good points about the positive contribution to improving human health, especially in coastal regions, from transitioning to VLSFO, and in looking at the possible benefits of LNG as an alternative fuel for ships he rightly raises the risks of it become a ‘fifth column’ that actually delays the introduction of true zero carbon shipping, as well as the potency of any leaking or unburned methane as a greenhouse gas. There was also mention of Arctic shipping issues, & oil spill risks at high latitudes, helping show the breadth of key issues covered. Overall I recommend this as a detailed ‘warts & all’ introduction to IMO 2020, that doesn’t hold back on reasonable criticism whilst also recognising the positive contributions that the new regulatory regime will make to the industry, and to human & environmental well-being.”

— Steve Hall, Society for Underwater Technology