Features: - Tanker Operator

TECHNOLOGY - EMISSIONS
regulators find a practical way of including
shipping in the international work to reduce
global warming,” said UK Chamber of
Shipping president Jesper Kjaedegaard at its
launch last September.
“Shipping is, by a considerable margin,
the most efficient way to transport goods, but
it still produces about 3% of the CO2 emitted
as a result of human activity. Clearly such a
major industry, transporting over 80% of
world trade, has a responsibility to reduce
carbon outputs. We believe some form of
emissions trading system is the way to do it.”
“It is important,” Kjaedegaard continued,
“that any solution is global and developed
through the IMO. It is also vital that any
emissions trading regime is implemented
without driving goods to other modes of
transport, which would increase overall
emissions and damage commercial shipping.”
Although improvements will continue to be
gained through ship design and operational
efficiency – and any new system must take
account of these – ‘cap-and-trade’ is the only
way to guarantee overall CO2 emissions
reduction, the UK CoS said.
Using the power of market forces, such a
system would put the incentives in the right
place to drive standards and behaviours. For
example, it would force operators to pay more
attention to efficient voyage-planning and
management of their fleets, and investment in
modern tonnage, as lower emissions would be
financially rewarded. It would also promote
change by supporting innovation and
technological development.
Meanwhile, in late October, the EU
Environment Committee said it considered
that global reduction GHG emissions from
shipping should be agreed at 20% below the
2005 levels by 2020 and be implemented
globally in a manor that ensures a level
playing field.
The EU also said that it supports the use of
market-based instruments to reduce emissions
and that such instruments should be developed
by the IMO in the case of shipping.
Twelve month’s grace
A couple of months ago, Brussels gave the
IMO a year to draft a measure to cut carbon
emissions.
Barbara Helfferich, EU environment
spokeswoman reportedly said recently: “The
EU wants to make maritime reduction part of
December’s Copenhagen Agreement on the
environment. So far, there has been no
commitment by the sector to climate change,
and it has done nothing about fighting it.”
Greece, Cyprus and Malta persuaded the
27-member bloc at the recent EU Council of
Environment ministers meeting to channel all
work on emissions through the IMO.
Carbon emission reduction should be
“implemented globally” to ensure a “global
playing field”, they said.
As mentioned, the EU council's final accord
said ships must cut carbon emissions by at
least 20% by 2020. The agreement, which also
covers aviation, said the EU supported the use
of “global market-based instruments to reduce
emissions from these sectors”.
The IMO aims to draft an accord at
December’s meeting in Copenhagen to
succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which expires
in 2012.
TO
*This article was written before the
results of the COP 15 meeting were
known.
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November/December 2009 TANKEROperator 33