IMO agrees to voluntary proposals

The UN’s shipping agency, International Maritime Organisation (IMO), has agreed to voluntary proposals aimed at cutting carbon emissions. But environmental groups said it fell short of what was needed, it is reported.

Shipping and aviation are the only industry sectors not regulated by the Kyoto Protocol, which will set targets for greenhouse gas emissions by rich countries from 2008-12.
Shipping accounts for nearly 3 per cent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and pressure has grown for cuts ahead of a crucial climate change summit in Copenhagen in December.

According to Exim News Service, delegates from around 90 countries approved non-compulsory technical and operational measures to reduce greenhouse emissions from ships.

These included an energy-efficiency design index for new ships to ensure new vessel designs are environmentally-friendly as well as an index for existing vessels.

"It is being circulated as interim and voluntary guidelines," said an IMO spokeswoman.
Mr Peter Lockley, head of transport policy with environmental group WWF-UK, said the measures should have been mandatory with set targets.

"This does not meet our demands or what is necessary to protect the climate and we are going to call on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to set targets and timelines and guiding principles," Mr Lockley explained.

Mr Peter Hinchliffe, Marine Director with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents 75 per cent of the global industry, said the proposals were an important step. Shippers wanted them to be mandatory as soon as possible, he added.

The IMO Secretary-General, Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos, told delegates that they should avoid the temptation to seek "overly ambitious results we cannot deliver".

(Source: Transport Weekly)