Mr. Roel Hoenders is Head of Climate Action and Clean Air in the Marine Environment Division of the IMO Secretariat. In that capacity he is overseeing IMO’s regulatory agenda on the decarbonization of maritime transport and the reduction of air pollution from ships. Prior to that role, Roel worked in the IMO Secretariat as technical officer supporting Governments with ratification and implementation of IMO’s environmental instruments.
Roel holds a law degree, with specializations in international environmental and maritime law, complemented by postgraduate studies in environmental sciences and business sustainability.
Before joining the IMO Secretariat, Mr. Hoenders worked as legal and policy officer on defining EU renewable energy and clean air policies in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment and on promoting sustainable shipping in the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
In earlier functions, Roel managed sustainable transport infrastructure projects in the MENA region at the European Commission’s Development Cooperation Directorate and advised on ESG and government relations at the European Sea Ports Organization (ESPO) and DHL Netherlands.