A radical proposal to charge a 'bunker levy' on the world shipping fleet could boost the use of innovative technologies designed to cut bunker consumption. The proposal has been put to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in London this week. The idea comes from Denmark, which says the levy would be a way of cutting shipping's green house gas (GHG) emissions and emissions in the world economy as a whole. It says the scheme would also encourage "ship efficiency improvements, thus possibly achieving a reduction in the present emission growth rate."
The Danish IMO submission, which said it was trying to initiate debate, admitted that the idea would need broad international consensus.
It did not set a level for the levy, but suggested it should apply to each metric tonne of marine fuel, taking into account emission factors.
The money raised would be used to buy carbon trading credits to counter-balance shippings' CO2 emissions.
That in turn would push up the price of emission credits in the world market, encouraging global reductions of GHG.
Denmark did not specify which 'ship efficiency improvements' might be encouraged, but a number of technologies are being developed to help ships cut bunker consumption. They include towing kites and the incorporation of 'air cushions' beneath ships' hulls.
Providers of fuel efficiency mechanisms have claimed that collectively they could provided fuel savings of up to 40
The Danish IMO submission, which said it was trying to initiate debate, admitted that the idea would need broad international consensus.
It did not set a level for the levy, but suggested it should apply to each metric tonne of marine fuel, taking into account emission factors.
The money raised would be used to buy carbon trading credits to counter-balance shippings' CO2 emissions.
That in turn would push up the price of emission credits in the world market, encouraging global reductions of GHG.
Denmark did not specify which 'ship efficiency improvements' might be encouraged, but a number of technologies are being developed to help ships cut bunker consumption. They include towing kites and the incorporation of 'air cushions' beneath ships' hulls.
Providers of fuel efficiency mechanisms have claimed that collectively they could provided fuel savings of up to 40