Chamber of Shipping considers options for reducing carbon emissions

Chamber of Shipping logo for press releases

Thursday, 07, Aug 2008 12:00

The Chamber of Shipping today hosted a meeting of its members to consider the merits of market-based instruments which could help shipping reduce its carbon emissions.

The Chamber of Shipping has endorsed the need for action by all parties – Government and industry – to achieve a positive outcome to the current discussions within International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on carbon emissions.

The Chamber is fully in support of the IMO’s commitment and efforts to achieve a common position in good time before the UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen next year.

There is a duty upon the industry to achieve a practical outcome which contributes to the global effort to reduce global warming. In order to achieve this, the Chamber stresses the importance of keeping all options under active investigation and remains open to any economic or “market-based” instruments provided they fulfil the nine principles for any future IMO regulatory framework agreed at its Marine Environment Protection Committee in April.

With local and regional authorities in different parts of the world contemplating unilateral action, it is clear that there is likely to be considerable political pressure for some measure which goes beyond allowing the impact of the market alone to exercise the required pressure.

The industry is already engaged at IMO in discussing practical measures which can facilitate the reduction of CO2 emissions by both existing and new ships. However, if industry cannot deliver sufficient carbon reductions as required by regulators through technical and operational means it may be that market-based measures will have to be invoked to bridge the gap.

The only alternative is the unthinkable prospect of limiting the number of ships’ voyages, thus effectively putting a brake on world trade.

Robert Ashdown, Head of Technical said: “Our experience of the debates on air pollutants (sulphur and nitrogen) shows that IMO can be trusted to deliver ambitious targets that are both environmentally sound and practically achievable.

“If industry can unite in agreeing a common position and inject its findings into the debate at IMO, we have every confidence that an equally acceptable solution can be found for carbon. This process is gathering pace in IMO and it is important to allow that to run its course, before ruling out specific options.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Claire Sneddon, Chamber of Shipping

020 7417 2833

Notes to editor

• The Chamber of Shipping is the trade association for the UK shipping industry, working to promote and protect the interests of its members both nationally and internationally. With 140 members and associate members, the Chamber represents over 860 ships of about 23 million gross tonnes and is recognised as the voice of the UK shipping industry.

• For more information on British Shipping, please visit: http://www.british-shipping.org