Diversity@Sea: Advancing Human Sustainability in Maritime Crewing
Diversity@Sea is a landmark initiative from the Global Maritime Forum’s All Aboard Alliance, developed under its Human Sustainability programme. It seeks to better understand the conditions that shape seafarers’ wellbeing, career progression and quality of life at sea—recognising that inclusive, safe and resilient shipboard environments are vital to the long-term health of the maritime industry.
Synergy Marine Group is honoured to be one of twelve first-mover companies participating in this important effort. Our managed Aframax tanker, SOUTHERN REVERENCE, sailed in October 2023 meeting the initiative’s key minimum criteria—including 24/7 internet access, bespoke PPE, and a gender-diverse crew with at least four women. The vessel was also involved in piloting real-life scenarios designed to test the conditions that foster more sustainable working environments at sea.
A Collective Effort Across the Value Chain
Over a two-year period, Diversity@Sea engaged with 400 seafarers and collected more than 50,000 data points. This wealth of feedback shaped the development of the Sustainable Crewing Guidelines, published in March 2025, and now further expanded upon in the final Diversity@Sea report.
The initiative reflects a multi-stakeholder collaboration—bringing together shipowners, technical managers, crewing partners, charterers and maritime organisations from across the value chain. While the final report does not enumerate all contributors, it is underpinned by the operational insights, lived experiences and strategic inputs of a broad and diverse working group.
Why This Matters
Synergy’s involvement in Diversity@Sea reflects our wider belief that human sustainability must go beyond compliance. It calls for proactive steps to ensure equitable access to opportunity, psychological safety, and a shared culture of care onboard.
The report identifies six key enablers of sustainable crewing and highlights the systemic barriers that still affect many seafarers—particularly those from underrepresented groups. These enablers are not only social imperatives but also strategic levers for performance, retention and resilience.
Core Themes and Learnings
- Transparent career pathways and promotion frameworks
- Inclusive leadership and psychological safety
- Fit-for-purpose data systems to guide HR and crewing
- Cross-functional collaboration among owners, managers and charterers
These findings are supported by anonymised case studies and practical insights that ship operators can apply to their own contexts.
As Jesper Kristensen, Group CEO of Synergy Marine Group, observed:
“Human sustainability requires that seafarers are acknowledged in policy, empowered in practice and included at every level of decision making. This means more than meeting regulatory thresholds—it calls for a genuine cultural shift in how we view life at sea. When we embed inclusion, psychological safety and fairness into the structures that govern maritime work, we not only uphold dignity—we build a more resilient, future-ready industry.”
The full report—Diversity@Sea: The Journey to the Sustainable Crewing Guidelines—is available for download here:
Published with permission from the Global Maritime Forum. Please credit accordingly if resharing.
We encourage maritime professionals, crewing managers, HR specialists and leaders across the sector to explore the report’s insights and consider how they might inform the next generation of more inclusive and future-ready seafaring models.
Your Questions Answered
What is the Diversity@Sea initiative?
Diversity@Sea is a two-year pilot project from the Global Maritime Forum’s All Aboard Alliance. It aimed to explore how inclusive working conditions can improve life at sea and support long-term human sustainability in the maritime industry.
How was Synergy Marine Group involved?
Synergy was one of 12 first-mover companies in the pilot. Two managed tankers—SOUTHERN REVERENCE (from 2023) and SOUTHERN RESPECT (from late 2024)—participated by meeting minimum inclusion standards and piloting real-life onboard practices.
What are the “minimum requirements” referenced in the report?
These include 24/7 internet access for seafarers, gender-diverse crew with at least four women onboard, tailored PPE, and access to inclusive welfare and reporting mechanisms.
What does the final Diversity@Sea report contain?
The report consolidates findings from over 50,000 data points gathered from 400+ seafarers. It outlines six enablers of sustainable crewing, details systemic barriers to inclusion, and shares practical case studies.
Why does this initiative matter to ship managers and owners?
The findings demonstrate that human sustainability isn’t just an ethical obligation—it’s a business imperative. Inclusive and psychologically safe vessels tend to perform better, retain crew more effectively, and are better prepared for regulatory scrutiny.
How is this different from standard ESG or DEI programmes?
Unlike generic corporate frameworks, Diversity@Sea focuses specifically on maritime crewing. It examines how daily life at sea is shaped by onboard hierarchies, communication patterns, cultural divides, and structural exclusion.
What are the six “enablers” of sustainable crewing identified in the report?
These include:
- Transparent career and promotion pathways
- Inclusive leadership and psychological safety
- Fit-for-purpose data systems
- Collaboration across owners, managers, and charterers
- Wellbeing practices embedded into crewing
- Trust-building mechanisms across ranks and nationalities
Are the report’s findings based only on female seafarer feedback?
No. While the gender dimension is central, the report reflects inputs from a wide range of crew, including junior officers, ratings, and senior leadership of all genders.
Can companies outside the initial 12 participants use this report?
Yes. The report is openly published and intended to serve as a practical framework for any maritime organisation seeking to make its crewing practices more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
How can we implement some of these recommendations?
Start by assessing your vessels against the six enablers. Small changes—like more transparent promotion policies or onboard mentoring—can make a significant difference. The case studies offer tested examples.
