Sustainability · Volume II

We hold ourselves to the standard we ask of our clients.

2023 Inaugural ESG report
GRI · SASB Standards we report against
5 Offices · Athens · Istanbul · Dubai · Shanghai · Singapore
0 Corruption incidents in 2023
The 2023 ESG Report

Optima is among the first maritime brokers and consultancies to publish its own ESG report. We advise the shipping industry on decarbonisation and governance, and we believe we have a duty to measure, disclose, and improve our own practice to the same standard.

Download our ESG Report
01 · Accountability begins at home

Most shipbrokers do not publish an ESG report. We do.

As advisors to the shipping industry on decarbonisation, governance, and risk, we believe we cannot ask our clients to measure and disclose what we are not willing to measure and disclose ourselves. Our inaugural report, covering 2023, is prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards and aligned with SASB Marine Transportation, and we publish it annually. It is a transparent record of where we stand, including where we still have work to do.

02 · Measured across every scope

We measure our greenhouse gas emissions across all three scopes under the GHG Protocol, with 2023 as our base year.

As a consultancy rather than a fleet operator, the overwhelming majority of our footprint sits in Scope 3, principally business travel and employee commuting, alongside office waste. Our reduction efforts are focused where the impact is: virtual-first meetings, sustainable travel practices, flexible and remote working, digital-first workflows that replace paper, and office energy efficiency. The full emissions inventory, scope by scope, is set out in our ESG report.

03 · Environmental · Social · Governance

Environmental. Social. Governance.

Drawn directly from the published report. Three pillars covering how we manage our own environmental footprint, our own people, and our own governance.

01 · Environmental Stewardship

Reducing our own footprint while helping the industry decarbonise.

We work to reduce our own environmental footprint while helping the wider industry decarbonise. Our priorities are cutting travel and commuting emissions, improving office energy efficiency, reducing and recycling waste, and embedding digital-first, low-paper workflows across all five offices.

  • Virtual-first meetings and reduced business travel
  • Office energy efficiency across all five hubs
  • Reduction and recycling of office waste
  • Digital-first, low-paper workflows
02 · Social Responsibility & Inclusion

Our people are the firm.

We invest in continuous development, family-friendly policies, and a safe working environment, and we maintained a zero work-related injury record across our site and yard visits in 2023. Beyond our own walls, we support the communities and causes connected to our industry, including educational, cultural-heritage, disaster-relief, and community-development initiatives.

  • Continuous development across all desks
  • Family-friendly working policies
  • Zero work-related injuries · site and yard visits (2023)
  • Education, heritage, relief, and community support
03 · Transparent & Ethical Governance

Integrity is the foundation of a brokerage.

We operate a zero-tolerance policy on corruption and bribery, with confidential whistleblowing channels, GDPR-compliant data protection, and cyber-risk governance appropriate to an increasingly digital industry. In 2023 we recorded zero corruption incidents and zero significant cybersecurity incidents.

  • Zero-tolerance on corruption and bribery
  • Confidential whistleblowing channels
  • GDPR-compliant data protection
  • Cyber-risk governance for a digital industry
04 · Our targets

What we are working towards.

The targets below are the actual measurable commitments published in our ESG report. We review progress annually and disclose against each in the next report.

Scope 1 & 2

Reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 20% by 2030.

01

Scope 3

Reduce Scope 3 emissions from business travel and commuting by 15% by 2028.

02

Office Energy

Reduce office energy consumption by 50% by 2030.

03

Leadership

Increase female representation in leadership roles to 30% by 2028.

04

Governance

Maintain full compliance with governance standards annually.

05

Client transition

Equip our clients with decarbonisation solutions, supporting their own transition.

06
05 · How we hold ourselves accountable

Governance and integrity.

Our ESG strategy is overseen by a dedicated ESG Committee that reports to senior leadership, sets measurable targets, and reviews progress.

We monitor regulatory change, run regular risk assessments, and report transparently to our stakeholders. Every mandate runs on a single brief: the long-term interest of the client and the asset.

That principle, applied consistently, is the simplest description of our governance.

06 · Memberships and affiliations

Where we sit in the industry.

Through these affiliations we contribute to industry standards and stay close to the regulatory and commercial questions shaping the future of shipping.

01 · Membership

BIMCO.

The world’s largest direct-membership organisation for shipowners, charterers, brokers, and agents.

02 · Membership

The Baltic Exchange.

The independent source of maritime market information for trading and settlement of physical and derivative contracts.

03 · Membership

GSSCA.

Greek Shipping and Shipbroking Companies Association — the principal Greek industry body for shipbroking firms.

04 · Membership

Hellenic Shipbrokers Association.

The professional association of shipbrokers operating in Greece.

05 · Membership

CNPI.

China Newbuilding Price Index — the reference benchmark for Chinese newbuilding values.

07 · The record, year by year

Our ESG reports.

We publish our ESG report annually. Each report is available to download below. The list grows each year.

Read our ESG Report.

Our inaugural ESG report — covering 2023, prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, and aligned with SASB Marine Transportation — is the full record of where we stand.

Download the 2023 report

Beyond our own practice, we advise shipowners and operators on decarbonisation, compliance, and carbon strategy. See our ESG & Carbon desk →