Over the next couple of days (14 – 15 April) EU Transport and Environment Ministers will meet in Amsterdam to discuss how Member States could make a positive and constructive contribution for achieving an international framework on CO2 reduction commitments.
The meeting hopes to ascertain what measure can be taken to “develop meaningful CO2 reduction commitments for the international shipping sector as a whole that are both ambitious and realistic” according to European Community Shipowners´ Association (ECSA) President Niels Smedegaard.
This joint Council meeting under the Dutch EU Presidency comes ahead of the Marine Environment Protection Committee’s (MEPC) 69th session next week that is due to involve a discussion around a global data collection system to provide information on all shipping emissions on an annual basis.
ECSA has also supported the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), its international partner, for Member States to adopt an Intended IMO Determined Contribution to enable a level playing field between the shipping industry and other industries in the goal to limit climate change through reducing emissions. The adoption of an Intended IMO Determined Contribution would also make it clear that the reduction of the sector’s CO2 emissions is being addressed robustly by IMO Member States.
ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven commented: “We believe that this system should have mandatory application. A decision in IMO should come forward in 2016 so that ships can provide the required data as soon as possible.”
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