All ships should follow emission standards: International Maritime Organization

Vincent Wee, Business Times 17 Oct 08;

REDUCTIONS in carbon emissions agreed to by the International Maritime Organization should apply globally to all ships no matter what flag they fly, IMO secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos said here yesterday.

He was speaking at the second Singapore Maritime Lecture, where he made clear his stand on greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Mitropoulos acknowledged that there is ongoing debate over whether emission reductions agreed to by IMO should apply only to First World countries or should be extended to include all ships regardless of the flag they fly.

'My view on this is that, if reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from ships are to benefit the environment as a whole, they must apply globally to all ships in the world fleet,' he said.

The reality of the situation is that with First World-flagged tonnage representing just 25 per cent of shipping, the net benefit to the environment would be minimal if the rule applied to only these ships.

In addition, if control measures applied only to ships flagged in First World countries, there would likely be a rush to the non-First World ship registers, further reducing effectiveness, Mr Mitropoulos pointed out.

'To prevent this happening, with all its negative repercussions, we should develop a regime that will contribute positively, fairly and visibly to the endeavours of the international community as a whole to combat climate change - a regime whereby all IMO members engage in effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping in its entirety,' he said.

Since MARPOL Annex VI (IMO's set of regulations which addresses atmospheric pollution issues) does not cover the emission of greenhouse gases from ships, IMO is working through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol to reduce these gases.

'We have established an ambitious but achievable action plan to that end and are now working towards the development and adoption of a robust regime that will regulate shipping at the global level and contribute to the slowing down of climate change,' said Mr Mitropoulos.

Good progress has been made this year by its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), he said. 'These efforts are due to culminate in the expected adoption, in 2009, of a comprehensive package of technical and operational measures for all ships.'

This, he hoped, would successfully convey to the conference of parties to the UNFCCC, to be held in Copenhagen towards the end of next year, IMO's firm determination to protect and preserve the marine environment.

'Our goal is to deliver realistic and pragmatic solutions aimed at contributing substantively to worldwide efforts to address the phenomena of climate change and global warming. We must all play our part and we must work together if we are to achieve it,' Mr Mitropoulos said.

IMO charts passage through choppy waters
Marine pollution, piracy and talent shortage among obstacles
Yang Huiwen, Straits Times 17 Oct 08;

THE shipping industry is in for challenging times - faced with not just a global downturn in trade, but also problems such as marine pollution, piracy and a shortage of young people entering the industry.

The grim outlook was provided yesterday by the head of a global maritime body who was visiting Singapore.

'We must acknowledge that since 2004, we have had a boom in the world economy which had a most welcome impact on the shipping markets, where the dry cargo market and freight rates were extremely high for long periods of time,' said Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

'So, sooner or later, there will be some kind of a decline,' he told The Straits Times in an interview.

He said no sector will be unscathed by the financial crisis and that shipping will be affected to some extent. He is here for Singapore Maritime Week.

However, Mr Mitropoulos said that shipping, which accounts for about 90 per cent of world trade, will remain the preferred mode of transport due to cost efficiencies.

The IMO, which regulates the shipping industry on issues that include safety, environmental and legal issues, is working to reduce harmful emissions such as greenhouse gases and sulphur oxide from ships.

Shipping contributed about 3.5 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions last year, but that figure is expected to rise.

He said the IMO is 'working towards the development and adoption of a robust regime that will regulate shipping at the global level and contribute to the slowing down of climate change'.

These include deciding on whether to impose a fuel tax to cut greenhouse gas emissions or use more complex market-based instruments such as emissions trading.

The IMO hopes such moves will be enough to prevent the United Nations from imposing its own emission rules at a Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December next year.

The Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, will be replaced by the outcome of the Copenhagen meeting.

Mr Mitropoulos said that greenhouse gas emission reductions agreed by the IMO 'should extend to all ships, no matter what flag they fly'.

Under existing regulations, only 25 per cent of the world's fleet is obliged to comply with mandatory reduction measures.

'If reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from ships are to benefit the environment as a whole, they must apply globally to all ships in the world fleet.

'To me, it seems incongruous that two ships carrying similar cargo, loaded in the same port, sailing at the same speed and having the same destination, should be treated differently simply because they are registered under two different flags.'

He is also 'very concerned about the reluctance of promising young people to join the maritime organisation'. He pointed out: 'We have to act early to prevent a situation arising where we have state-of-the- art ships but there are not enough qualified professionals to man them.'

The IMO is working to make the profession a more attractive one and to retain talent, he said. It aims to solve problems such as mistreatment of seafarers and cut down on piracy.