Maritime must lower carbon emissions, but that onus needs to be better shared throughout the industry, according to bulker owners.

Shipping certainly embraces this greener movement, but the owners are the ones who are expected to fund it, Grindrod chief executive Martyn Wade said.

"We've really got the clean up the industry, but it's always down to the shipowner, isn't it?" he said as a dry bulk shipping panellist at Capital Link's online New York Maritime forum on Wednesday.