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The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has called for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to take charge of the process of developing measures designed to reduce emissions from ships.

ICS and the International Shipping Federation (ISF) held their Annual Meetings in London this week (18-20 May), at the invitation of the UK Chamber of Shipping.

ICS said that it is committed to helping the IMO put together a framework of proposals aimed at reducing the shipping industry's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for consideration by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference in December 2009.

Commenting on the issue, ICS Chairman and ISF President Spyros M Polemis said “We very much hope that UNFCCC will agree that the development and management of detailed measures for shipping should be directed by IMO. As the industry’s global regulator, IMO has successfully delivered an agreement on reducing pollutant emissions such as sulphur from ships, an issue just as complicated as CO2 but on which an impressive global consensus has been achieved.”

“There is agreement that the IMO package should include measures to improve fuel efficiency, such as the efficiency indexing of new ships and the use of Ship Efficiency Management Plans by all ships.” said Mr Polemis.

“ICS has also prepared a detailed analysis of the net environmental benefits and commercial implications of the various economic measures that have been proposed by governments as possible means of encouraging emission reductions. This paper will be considered at the crucial meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee in July.”

“Whatever is decided it must be applied globally, both for the sake of the environment and the efficiency of an industry that transports 90 percent of global trade. Above all, it must not inadvertently divert the transportation of cargo from shipping to far less carbon efficient forms of transport, such as roads or aviation,” added Mr Polemis.