EU offers IMO helping hand on GHG emissions - Carbon Positive

Posted February 9 2011 - Carbon Positive

The European Union has held out a conciliatory hand to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) over the regulation of maritime greenhouse emissions. A high level meeting of MEPs, experts and government officials hosted by the European Commissioners for transport and environment last week resolved that the EU should do all it can to help the IMO deliver a global regulation capping greenhouse-gas emissions in shipping this year. But the meeting stood firm on an EU commitment to act alone if the IMO cannot.
After the February 3 meeting, European Commission vice-president Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, and climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard said in a joint statement: "We are convinced that the shipping sector must deliver on the fight against climate change. We discussed how Europe can best progress in order for the maritime sector to contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions if there is no international agreement. But there should be no doubt: Europe must make every effort to help the IMO agree this year on global measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions from ships – now and in the long term."
The meeting conceded that “that in a global sector such as maritime transport, measures which are the most environmentally effective and make economic sense can best be achieved at global level, through the IMO.”

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