Friday, June 12, 2009
BIMCO supports technology for emission reduction
Friday, 12 June 2009
BIMCO has thrown its weight behind the proposals for an Energy Efficient Design Index for new ships as a mechanism for emission reduction. BIMCO, which has been considering environmental strategies at its recent Athens General Meeting, supports, in principle, an Energy Efficient Design Index, as a broad measure of energy efficiency, although it recognises that there may be issues with ship types designed specifically to cater for particular transport needs. Nevertheless such a scheme provides a direct incentive for technical advances in fuel and thus ship efficiency.
The organisation however cannot support any form of mandatory application of the IMO operational indicator, but strongly endorses the Ship Efficiency Management Plan as a vehicle to gauge performance.
BIMCO believes that measures to manage the emission of greenhouse gases from shipping should be regulated through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
BIMCO furthermore believes that any Market Based Instruments (MBI) should be based upon IMO’s nine fundamental principles, and have broad support from the industry.
Of the proposals for MBIs submitted to the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 59) meeting, BIMCO believes that the Danish proposal for an IMO International Compensation Fund is the instrument that best meets the nine IMO principles.
Source: BIMCO
