Friday, June 19, 2009
Support for bunker tax grows
Friday, 19 June 2009
The International Parcel Tankers Association (IPTA) has become the latest shipping group to back a bunker levy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). An IPTA statement said members were “unanimous” in their belief that a “global bunker contribution” was the best option.
It said a levy would “target emissions directly at source”, encouraging the efficient use of fuel.
At the same time, IPTA said, a levy would generate money which could be spent to fund other environmental projects.
IPTA represents chemical and product tankers and has consultative status with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The association said a levy would be far simpler to administer that an emissions trading scheme and would eliminate any possibility of manipulation of the carbon trading market.
IPTA specifically backed Denmark's proposals for a fuel levy.
In a document submitted to the IMO, Denmark has suggested that ships above 400 gross tonnes (gt) on international routes should pay a levy on bunker fuel of between $7.50 to $45 per metric tonne (mt).
Shipowners would also have to buy fuel from registered bunker fuel suppliers who would collect and transfer the greenhouse gas contributions to a fund administrator.
The IMO is trying to agree a position on shipping’s response to global warning in time for the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen in December.
A.P. Moller-Maersk, the world's largest box liner and product tanker owner, said last month that it supported a climate change tax on bunkers.
There has also been support from the Hong Kong Shipowners Association and a German shipowners group.
Cross industry group SEAaT (Shipping Emissions Abatement and Trading), however, has argued that emissions trading is the best way of bringing shipping into programmes to reduce carbon emissions.
Supporters of emissions trading claim a bunker levy wouldn't encourage emission cutting initiatives.
Source: Tanker World
