ICS WELCOMES IMO
PROGRESS ON
ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES AND
CONSTRUCTIVE
ROLE OF CHINA IN
GHG DEBATE
A
t the conclusion of the critical meeting of
the IMO Marine Environment Protection
Committee (MEPC), ICS has welcomed the
significant progress made on some key
environmental issues.
Action Plan for GHG reduction
ICS Chairman, Esben Poulsson commented
“While attention was rightly focused on
preparations for the 2020 sulphur cap, IMO
also made very good progress towards
implementing the ambitious GHG reduction
strategy agreed in April, adopting an Action Plan for the development
of short term measures that will deliver additional CO2 reductions
before 2023 plus longer term measures that will eventually achieve full
decarbonisation of international shipping.”
ICS is particularly pleased that IMO Member State have not sought to
reopen the historic agreement or the CO2 reduction targets previously
agreed and that governments, in partnership with industry, are totally
committed to making the GHG strategy a success.
“We were very pleased by the constructive role taken by China whose
proposals for organising future work formed a key part of the agreed IMO
Action Plan” said Esben Poulsson.
While no concrete decisions were taken on specific new CO2 reduction
measures, ICS notes broad support for the industry’s proposals for
mandatory auditing of Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans – the
‘Super SEEMP’ – and further improvements to the Energy Efficiency
Design Index for future ships. Both are measures which ICS says can be
adopted very quickly.
ICS says there is growing understanding amongst Member States about
the serious problems associated with ideas such as publishing mandatory
operational efficiency indicators or adopting mandatory speed limits
(as opposed to speed optimisation measures) due to the potential for
seriously distorting shipping markets and disrupting the efficiency of
58
ICS Chairman
Esben Poulsson
Environment
global trade. However, discussions on these ideas will continue at IMO
next year.
Mr Poulsson added: “With the Action Plan agreed by IMO this week, the
way is now clear to make detailed proposals for specific CO2 reduction
measures at the next MEPC in May. In co-operation with other industry
associations ICS intends to come forward with detailed ideas, potentially
including new and innovative measures for long term CO2 reduction and
the development of zero CO2 fuels.”
2020 Global Sulphur Cap
ICS welcomes the adoption by IMO this week of guidelines on
implementation of the global 0.5% sulphur in fuel cap, which takes effects
on 1 January 2020, including a template for implementation planning as
requested by the industry. ICS also welcomes confirmation of the carriage
ban of non-compliant fuel which will take effect on 1 March 2020, which
was also proposed by the industry in order to give governments an
additional tool to ensure a level playing field.
“The commitment of ICS to full implementation in 2020 is
demonstrated by the guidance on preparing for compliance which ICS
recently distributed to shipowners which we tabled at the MEPC this week
and was well received” said Esben Poulsson.
“In view of the enormity of this major change it’s likely there’ll be some
teething problems immediately before and after 1 January 2020. Many
industry associations, including ICS, have raised legitimate concerns
about fuel availability, safety and compatibility of new fuels – a particular
problem for those in the tramp trades. But if shipowners can demonstrate
in good faith that they’ve done everything possible to follow an
implementation plan – in line with the template IMO has now adopted
– we hope that common sense will prevail in the event that safe and
compliant fuels are not immediately available everywhere.”
ICS says there are still numerous complex issues that need addressing
urgently by IMO, both at the MEPC next May and by the Maritime Safety
Committee in December – to which the industry has already submitted
a detailed paper calling on governments to better enforce fuel quality,
especially as shipping companies will have to start ordering compliant
fuels, including new blends, from the middle of next year.
“But ICS is confident the sulphur cap will ultimately be a great success
bringing real health and environmental benefits to coastal populations
which is what this major regulatory change is all about” insisted Mr
Poulsson. http://www.ics-shipping.org