The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and its member national shipowners' associations are strongly supporting the global measures being adopted at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen to cut shipping's carbon emissions. There is consensus among the global shipping industry, which transports about 90% of world trade “as well as most of the world’s transport ministries that the most effective means of reducing CO2 emissions by ships will be for the Copenhagen Conference to give the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) a mandate to finalize the comprehensive package of technical and economic measures which it has already developed.
ICS said that IMO will be best placed to apply these to all ships in international trade, rather than only to the 35% of the world fleet that is currently registered with nations that are Kyoto Annex I countries.
"It is vital that governments avoid “carbon leakage” from within the shipping sector, and IMO has a successful track record of delivering environment standards for ships that are enforced worldwide," said ICS.
ICS noted that the European Union is seeking agreement in Copenhagen for a very ambitious reduction of 20% in emissions by the global shipping sector by 2020 from a 2005 baseline.
While it is also noted that aviation, which is currently some 30 times less carbon efficient than shipping is being asked by the EU to cut its emissions by only 10%, the international shipping industry is committed to achieving whatever global target may be set for shipping by governments, provided that the same standards will apply to all ships trading internationally.
However, any targets for the shipping sector should ideally be set by IMO, which will be better equipped to take account of factors such as the predicted expansion of demand for shipping services, is directly related to the long term growth of the world economy over which the industry has no control.
ICS said that IMO will be best placed to apply these to all ships in international trade, rather than only to the 35% of the world fleet that is currently registered with nations that are Kyoto Annex I countries.
"It is vital that governments avoid “carbon leakage” from within the shipping sector, and IMO has a successful track record of delivering environment standards for ships that are enforced worldwide," said ICS.
ICS noted that the European Union is seeking agreement in Copenhagen for a very ambitious reduction of 20% in emissions by the global shipping sector by 2020 from a 2005 baseline.
While it is also noted that aviation, which is currently some 30 times less carbon efficient than shipping is being asked by the EU to cut its emissions by only 10%, the international shipping industry is committed to achieving whatever global target may be set for shipping by governments, provided that the same standards will apply to all ships trading internationally.
However, any targets for the shipping sector should ideally be set by IMO, which will be better equipped to take account of factors such as the predicted expansion of demand for shipping services, is directly related to the long term growth of the world economy over which the industry has no control.