THE International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has stressed that IMO should be in control of any measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.
ICS has reiterated its commitment to helping governments at the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) deliver a package of proposals for reducing the global shipping industry’s CO2 emissions, for consideration by the UNFCCC climate change Conference in December 2009.
“We very much hope that UNFCCC will agree that the development and management of detailed measures for shipping should be directed by IMO. As the industry’s global regulator, IMO has successfully delivered an agreement on reducing pollutant emissions such as sulphur from ships, an issue just as complicated as CO2 but on which an impressive global consensus has been achieved.” said ICS chairman Spyros M Polemis.
“There is agreement that the IMO package should include measures to improve fuel efficiency, such as the efficiency indexing of new ships and the use of Ship Efficiency Management Plans by all ships.” said Mr Polemis. “ICS has also prepared a detailed analysis of the net environmental benefits and commercial implications of the various economic measures that have been proposed by governments as possible means of encouraging emission reductions. This paper will be considered at the crucial meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee in July.”
“Whatever is decided it must be applied globally, both for the sake of the environment and the efficiency of an industry that transports 90% of global trade. Above all, it must not inadvertently divert the transportation of cargo from shipping to far less carbon efficient forms of transport, such as roads or aviation.”