The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) has released a statement saying that it believes that the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) recent Marine Environmental Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 69) failed actions around agreeing a process for an emissions reduction framework has put the industry’s reputation at risk.
The powerful coalition of companies from across the global shipping industry currently includes shipping heavyweights Maersk Line, Gearbulk, Bunge, Cargill and U-Ming marine.
Prior to MEPC 69 last week, SSI called for agreement on a process that would lead to the setting of an ambitious but realistic framework that would see the shipping industry contribute to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the targets agreed at the UNFCCC COP 21 meeting in Paris in 2015. This was a call that was echoed by many other member states and industry bodies.
While the issue of GHG emissions reduction will continue at MEPC 70 in October 2016, the SSI believes the lack of action increases the perception of shipping as an industry that is not willing to contribute to global reduction targets. This threatens the shipping industry’s reputation, and increases the chance of reduction targets being mandated outside of the regulatory framework of the IMO.
Alastair Fischbacher, CEO, SSI said: “The shipping industry cannot go to COP 22 in Morocco without this [process for emissions reduction]. Not only will it damage the industry’s reputation, it also runs the risk of external regulators taking the matter into their own hands and circumnavigating the IMO, which no-one in the industry wants to see.”
Whilst MEPC 69 did take a step in the right direction by agreeing on the implementation of a mandatory data collection system, the results of its roll-out in the industry will not be available for a number of years yet, potentially delaying the action required and, as SSI puts it “increasing the stringency of measures that will be needed.”
Alastair Fischbacher continued: “Although the debate at MEPC 69 has taken a step forward, it is not substantive enough and falls short of both external expectations and even internal ambition from a large number of the members. A number of parties, including two of the three biggest flag registries, were supportive of the IMO developing a framework for emissions reduction as soon as possible. But this was not enough to counter some strong opposition to proposals and in some cases to any further work.”
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