Source: Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA)
Shipping facilitates an estimated 90% of global trade by volume and enables a host of activities such as oil ad gas exploration, marine tourism and fishery. Most ships run on bunker fuel, a low grade fuel that releases green house gases (GHG) into the atmosphere.
Given its profile, international spotlight is rightfully trained keenly on shining brightly on the shipping industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Led by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the specialized United Nations body overseeing the use of the oceans, the industry has come up with several initiatives to 'clean up its act'.
Through its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) which meets annually, IMO provides a platform for industry players and other stakeholders to discuss issues pertaining to marine pollution and environmental protection with a view to come up with measures to reduce omissions and pollution from shipping activities.
Shipping's contribution to global total emissions from shipping is small in comparison to other modes of transport. According to a 2009 report by Lloyd's List, the shipping sector's contribution to global total carbon emissions from economic activities was a mere 3.3%. However, the same report [pointed out that this percentage doubled from 1990 and shipping's emissions could grow up to threefold between 2007 to 2020 if no regulatory measures and serious efforts are undertaken to curb it.
Getting rid of emissions
High on the agenda of the shipping industry's efforts to protect the environment is to come up with technical and operational measures to reduce GHG from ships. GHG has been blamed by scientists as one of the culprits causing global warming.
Efforts to reduce GHG from shipping activities are being led by IMO, which takes an inclusive approach in taking into account the perspectives and points of views of various parties in coming up with a global regime to reduce GHG from shipping. It engages NGOs such as World Wildlife Fund and Friends of the Earth and invites them to be observers at MEPC meetings.
To this end, various proposals made by IMO Member States have been deliberated and reviewed during MEPC meetings. In addition, a Working Group has been established by MEPC to discuss issues pertaining to GHG. The group has, in recent MEPC meetings, deliberate the regulatory text to implement these measures as mandatory standards, along with the guidelines and formulas related thereto, with the view to refine them.
Several technical and operational measures to reduce emissions from ships have been introduced. Of particular note are IMO-led initiatives, namely the introduction of Energy Efficiency Design Index and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan, which it plans to make compulsory to the shipping industry. Regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships have also been introduced, including the type and size of vessels to which they will apply.
In addition to reducing GHG, the adoption of Annex III of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is also high on the agenda of the MEPC and industry players. Annex III of MARPOL covers pollution from packaged goods carried by ships and includes issues relating to the implementation of ballast water management (BWM) and conventions on ship recycling.
Beside GHG emissions, there are other pollutants from ships which need attention, including invasive alien species and ballast water. Measures have been undertaken to mitigate their risks to the environment.
Preventing the spread of invasive alien species that can be harmful to the marine environment is a matter of paramount importance. To this end, it is heartening to note the support garnered among nations toward the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments. Numerous ballast water management systems have also been proposed by the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection (GESAMP) and the Ballast Water Working Group in MEPC.
Also being considered is the introduction of market-based mechanism which provides a carbon-trading platform for shipowners to reduce their carbon footprint and emissions. Several options are being considered, namely a proposal to introduce a bunker fund contribution by Denmark; emissions trading scheme (proposed by France, Germany, Norway and UK); and emissions trading involving the earning and trading of energy efficiency credits (suggested by the US). These proposals are being discussed at MEPC, taking into account feedback from countries, especially developing ones, which are anxious that the mechanism is being too hastily introduced and could cause competitive disadvantage among industry players. Questions are also being asked if these proposals are in line with the principles of various conventions related to the environment such as Kyoto Protocol, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
Measures under pressure
There are however dissenting voices which raised doubt whether the shipping industry is acting - or reacting - appropriately to protect the environment in the wake of increasing shipping activities. Several NGOs and interest groups have accused shipping industry players of being complacent and ‘hiding' behind the industry's low ‘share' of emissions is small relative to other methods of transport.
Critics have wondered if various measures being proposed - for example, the introduction of market-based instruments to cap carbon emissions and the designation of certain maritime areas as Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas - would not prove to be counterproductive in the long run to international shipping. They have cast doubt if such measures would merely treat the symptoms instead of effectively addressing the problem of emissions at the source.
This should not deter efforts in the shipping industry to reduce its carbon footprints. There is growing realization among the stakeholders of the shipping industry of the urgent and hard work needed to reduce the effects of shipping on climate change and to present a more eco-friendly image of the industry.
While the voyage ahead towards truly environmentally friendly shipping is long and challenging, we can be encouraged by the initiatives and efforts made thus far. The commitment by IMO, the increasing awareness of the need to operate in a ‘clean and green' manner and the support from industry players towards efforts to reduce pollution from ships are promising. Maritime transport can show the way for other transport modes to reduce their carbon footprint
