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IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos used his opening address at the 57th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committe (MEPC) to defend the shipping industry's environmental record against recent criticism received by politicians, civil servants and media representatives, describing it as "ill-founded and inaccurate".

Using figures to back up his argument, Mitropoulos said that "international shipping should not be allowed to become a scapegoat for those who find it a soft target, singling it out from other modes of transport, when data shows it as having greener credentials than them, representing, according to Sir Nicholas Stern's study of 2006, 1/10 of the transport sector as a whole or, in other words, 1.4% of the total of CO2 emissions worldwide".

Mitropoulos said that the IMO had spearheaded numerous efforts to sustain a green and healthy environment and would continue to act to protect and preserve it. He then called on members of the MEPC to redouble their efforts to respond to the environmental challenges that lay ahead.

Speaking about the proposed amendments to MARPOL Annex VI and the NOx Technical Code, Mitropoulos pointed out that a modern VLCC - accoring to Intertanko figures - is now able to transport one tonne of cargo over more than 2,800 kilometres using just one litre of fuel, which is more than twice the distance of 20 years ago. He said that the development of larger, more efficient ships had lead to a reduction in gas emissions, which in turn gave the industry "the right to say that shipping is comparatively clean, environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient."

Mitropoloulos also acknowledged, however, that while the number of shipping vessels grows in tandem with world trade and as long as it remains dependent on burning fossil fuels, it will continue to be a contributor to increased levels of air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

The IMO Secretary-General said that the MEPC's 57th session was a unique opportunity to agree on a new regime that will substantially reduce emissions of air pollutants from ships and demonstrate that the contribution of the shipping industry forms part of the solution to the problem.