The Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF) has warned it will oppose any steps to impose a bunker levy on shippers as the means of raising money to fund an environmental compensation schemei, Itf-net reports.
Last week, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) unveiled plans to develop a bunker levy scheme to collect money from the maritime industry.
The extra cash would be used to fund a compensation scheme that will help shipping lines meet their responsibilities to reduce carbon emissions.
The ICS said it would lobby the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to accept the scheme as a means of heading off regional regulation, including emissions trading schemes.
GSF Secretary General Chris Welsh said: “At its inaugural Board meeting in Leipzig Germany on 27 May, the GSF Board said it would welcome and support a voluntary shipping industry initiative to reduce carbon emissions through the IMO, but the shipping industry must take direct responsibility for setting and achieving a clear target for reducing its carbon emissions.”
He explained that shipowners need to introduce a “rigorous scheme” that targets operational efficiencies and other measures to reduce shipping carbon emissions.
“Merely passing on shipping carbon costs to their customers via a bunker levy not only removes shipowner accountability but will not reduce carbon emissions.”
He said the shipping industry should “move quickly” in setting up a voluntary carbon reduction scheme and in winning political support for this.
“The GSF would strongly back such an approach and would join the shipping industry in a campaign to secure the support of governments and member states within IMO,” he said.
The GSF said that its members were closely collaborating on a new project to decarbonise the maritime supply chain from the shippers’ perspective.
The outputs from the project will provide a series of tools to allow shippers to take positive steps to reduce their total maritime supply chain carbon emissions.
Last week, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) unveiled plans to develop a bunker levy scheme to collect money from the maritime industry.
The extra cash would be used to fund a compensation scheme that will help shipping lines meet their responsibilities to reduce carbon emissions.
The ICS said it would lobby the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to accept the scheme as a means of heading off regional regulation, including emissions trading schemes.
GSF Secretary General Chris Welsh said: “At its inaugural Board meeting in Leipzig Germany on 27 May, the GSF Board said it would welcome and support a voluntary shipping industry initiative to reduce carbon emissions through the IMO, but the shipping industry must take direct responsibility for setting and achieving a clear target for reducing its carbon emissions.”
He explained that shipowners need to introduce a “rigorous scheme” that targets operational efficiencies and other measures to reduce shipping carbon emissions.
“Merely passing on shipping carbon costs to their customers via a bunker levy not only removes shipowner accountability but will not reduce carbon emissions.”
He said the shipping industry should “move quickly” in setting up a voluntary carbon reduction scheme and in winning political support for this.
“The GSF would strongly back such an approach and would join the shipping industry in a campaign to secure the support of governments and member states within IMO,” he said.
The GSF said that its members were closely collaborating on a new project to decarbonise the maritime supply chain from the shippers’ perspective.
The outputs from the project will provide a series of tools to allow shippers to take positive steps to reduce their total maritime supply chain carbon emissions.