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The
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will
intensify efforts to reduce the contribution of
the shipping industry to global warming and
climate change. Specifically, the IMO’s marine
environment protection committee (MEPC) 59th
session recently focused on greenhouse gases (GHGs)
emission.
The significance of the efforts by IMO is also
clearly illustrated from the theme chosen for
this year’s World Maritime Day, which will be
celebrated on the Sept 24 – Climate Change: a
challenge for IMO too! Delegating the limitation
and reduction of GHGs from shipping would ensure
that international shipping is regulated by a
single global regime applying equally to all
ships. If shipping is to have a positive impact
on climate change, it would need a global regime
developed and enacted by IMO and applied to all
ships engaged in international trade.
Although shipping is perceived as the most safe,
environmentally friendly, and fuel-efficient of
all modes of transport, efforts by the IMO are
seen as being a crucial point to regulate
harmful emissions from international shipping
activities, as land-based air pollution sources
are being regulated toward reducing their
contributions worldwide.
As such, shipping is expected to contribute,
however modestly, to the wider efforts being
made to arrest global warming.
Shipping carries 90% of world trade and as such,
balancing the future growth of world trade
against an essential reduction in greenhouse
gases is not a decision to be taken lightly.
The second IMO GHGs study on GHGs from Ships
(2009) estimated that ships engaged in
international trade in 2007 contributed about
870 million tonnes or about 2.7% of the world’s
anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
It also stated that emission reductions were
feasible through technical and operational
measures as well as through the introduction of
market-based reduction mechanisms.
In the absence of global policies to control GHG
from international shipping, the emissions is
estimated to increase by between 150% and 250%
(compared to 2007 emissions) by the year 2050
due to expected continued growth in
international seaborne trade. Thus, the MEPC of
the IMO had agreed to disseminate a package of
interim and voluntary technical and operational
measures to reduce GHG emissions from
international shipping and has agreed on a work
plan of proposed market-based instruments to
provide incentives for the shipping industry.
This include the formulation of interim
guidelines on the method of calculation, and
voluntary verification of energy efficiency
design index for new ships; and guidance on the
development of a ship efficiency management plan
for new and existing ships, which incorporates
best practices for fuel efficient operation of
ships among others.
In addition to these, the MEPC also held an
in-depth discussion on market-based instruments
and agreed a work plan for its further
consideration of the topic, as of its next
session MEPC 60th session in next March.
Although significant development is being made
on the matter, it is crucial however, that the
outcome of strategies being developed at the IMO
be pragmatic, realistic, workable,
cost-effective and well-balanced decisions; in
the formulation of which the views of the
developing countries will be duly taken into
account.
As for Malaysia, being one of the world’s top
twenty trading nations, the importance of the
maritime sector to the country certainly cannot
be underestimated. Besides housing some of the
world’s major ports, about 95% of the country’s
goods traded are transported by sea. However,
ships are currently not required to meet air
pollution controls as other land-based
transportation is required to do so in Malaysia.
As such, taking note of the development of the
issue at the international level would be
crucial in establishing the required time frame
and targets in preparation for smooth adoption
and implementation of the convention at the
national level, once we decide on ratifying it.
Regulation for the prevention of air pollution
from ships was adopted in the 1997 protocol to
the International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships, 1973 and is included in
annex VI of the convention.
The
annex covers a number of pollutants from
shipboard operations that affect air quality,
which include nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide,
fuel oil quality, incinerators, ozone depleting
substances, volatile organic compounds, and
vapour emissions.
The convention entered into force in May 2005
and has, so far, been ratified by 53 countries,
representing approximately 81.88% of the gross
tonnage of the world’s merchant shipping fleet.
Source: The Star |
