The World Through Its Ports: Trade, Conflict and Climate

More than 80 per cent of global trade is carried by sea, making ports critical lifelines for economies and communities around the world. Yet these crucial hubs are also becoming increasingly contested spaces, sitting at the intersection of global trade, climate change, energy and geopolitical power.

People have been transporting their goods across the water since ancient times. As canoes and sailboats gave way to supertankers, bulk carriers and container ships, the unprecedented volume of global trade has transformed our societies and economies. But, is it sustainable? As fractures in the global order emerge – with geopolitical tensions flaring, crises overlapping, and tariffs and restrictions being implemented overnight – can ports continue to grow indefinitely? How are they responding to the climate crisis and energy transition, and who is holding them accountable? What will the maritime world look like in the future?

Join us at The Conduit to consider the answers to these questions. We will hear from an expert panel blending economic history, current affairs and extensive primary research to illuminate the hidden, shifting world of trade behind everything around us.

Event Schedule

6:15pm: Pre-event socialising and networking
A cash bar will be available for refreshments.

6:30pm: Event begins

7:30pm: Event ends

Speakers

Aafke Steenhuis is a writer and painter. From 1974 to 1990 she was the editor for culture and Latin America for the weekly magazine De Groene Amsterdammer. She has published 22 books.

Jan Joost Teunissen is founder of FONDAD, an independent economic policy research center and a forum for international discussion, established in the Netherlands. Supported by a worldwide network of experts, it provides policy-oriented research on North-South issues in a globalizing world, in particular international financial issues. He has published more than 25 books.

Ed Conway is a writer and broadcaster. He is the Economics and Data Editor of Sky News and a regular columnist for The Times and Sunday Times. He has won numerous awards for his journalism and his book Material World was a Sunday Times bestseller and nominated for multiple prizes and books-of-the-year lists.