Maersk: Global emissions deal is sink or swim for IMO - Business Green Sustainable Thinking

Posted February 24 2011 - Business Green Sustainable Thinking - By Will Nichols

Failure to secure some form of deal to help make new ships more carbon efficient could see the International Maritime Organization (IMO) lose its status as the industry's guiding body, according to a senior executive at one of the world's largest shipping companies.
Jacob Sterling, head of climate and environment at Maersk, told BusinessGreen the UN body has to come away from a meeting in July with agreement on preliminary steps towards cutting shipping's carbon emissions or risk seeing its negotiating role supplanted by the UN's climate change secretariat, the UNFCCC.
"In July [the IMO] is discussing and trying to agree a global efficiency standard for new ships – it's a first step, it's not radical or highly ambitious," he said. "But it is make or break for the IMO if it wants to play a role in the future of shipping."
The IMO has overseen the slow progress of negotiations designed to agree how to reduce emissions from the sector, which account for about four per cent of global emissions and are predicted to increase exponentially as global trade expands.
However, the body denied that the outcome of July talks, known as MEPC 62, would decide its future.
"The Kyoto Protocol says that countries should work through the IMO to address shipping emissions and I don't see that changing," an IMO spokeswomen told BusinessGreen. "We hope to get some sort of agreement in July, but until we have that meeting its impossible to speculate. If nothing is agreed, other organizations may decide to take specific action, but we cannot comment on what they decide to do."

Complete Story at:
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2028570/maersk-global-emissions-deal-sink-swim-imo

"Emission Trading System Vs A Bunker Levy" - Carbon Postive

February 2011 issue - Helena Athoussaki, CEO, Carbon Positive - Maritech

Carbon Positive believes an emissions trading scheme (ETS) is preferable to a bunker levy for reducing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in shipping. The experience in other industrial sectors over two decades shows that over the long term an ETS offers a number of advantages: (1) a low cost of compliance, (2) more choice and flexibility given to each ship owner in how they cut emissions, and (3) greater certainty that an emissions reduction target is actually reached.
The initial attraction to a bunker levy as a simpler solution to regulation is understandable; ship owners and charterers faced with regulation just want to know what the penalty is, cover it, and get on with business. But many ship-owners don’t recognize that the higher environmental cost of inefficient ships will merely be passed on by charterers who will pay lower rates to their owners. However, a well-designed ETS in close consultation with the maritime sector will enable owners to protect themselves. An ETS will mobilize the engineering talents of the private sector to develop a wide range of emissions-control options, the cheapest of which will win out. In addition, non-ship-based reductions might be used to reduce the pressure on ship-owners to cut their ship-based emissions.

Complete Story at:
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2274

Supply chain optimization will reduce shipping emissions and benefit the environment - DNV

Posted February 21, 2011 - DNV - Author: Per Wiggo Richardsen

Oslo: Together with partners in the MARLEN project, DNV recently completed the development of a supply chain performance tool for calculating the environmental impact and energy efficiency of maritime logistics chains. Two case studies used to evaluate the tool demonstrated how increased use of shipping can achieve environmental and financial benefits for the supply chain as a whole.
The Maritime Logistics Chains and the Environment project (MARLEN), established in 2008, has developed tools to map environmental performance of a logistics chain (“As-Is”) and to evaluate the potential consequences of changes in parts of the chain may have for the chain as a whole (“What-If”).
The tools were tested on Höegh Autoliners’ multimodal distribution system for transporting new cars from the production plant to inland distribution centers. A model was developed to optimize the total distribution system on a cost only, environmental performance only, or weighted combination basis changing parameters such as the number and location of ports, type of ships, sailing frequency and the use of rail or road inland. The results showed that costs and total energy consumption could be reduced when the proportion of transportation performed by ships was increased.
A second case study analyzed ...

Complete story at:
http://www.dnv.com/press_area/press_releases/2011/supplychainoptimizationwillreduceshipemissionsandbenefittheenvironment.asp

Crucial IMO vote on cutting shipping emissions needs EU action now - European Federation for Transport and Environment AISBL

Posted - Thursday, February 17, 2011 - Transport and Environment

The Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) is calling on six European countries to ratify a crucial piece of marine environmental legislation, in order to enable their participation at a crucial vote on energy efficiency standards for ships at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) this Summer.
In July, the IMO will vote on the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) – an amendment to MARPOL Annex VI, the IMO’s shipping pollution legislation. The EEDI could lead to newly-built ocean ships becoming progressively more efficient by 2030, with associated reductions in CO2 emissions of up to 20% as the fleet is renewed. If adopted, the EEDI would represent the world’s first global mandatory climate instrument for any sector.
But the vote is likely to be very tight as there is opposition from countries such as China and Saudi Arabia who object in principal to global measures that treat all countries equally. In the EU, Hungary, current holders of the EU presidency, as well as the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Malta and Monaco are yet to ratify MARPOL Annex VI, so are not eligible to vote on the EEDI. For that reason, the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) and the EEB have written to the Hungarian Minister of Rural Development, Sándor Fazekas, to call on Hungary to ratify MARPOL Annex VI and, as current holders of the EU presidency, to urge the other non-ratifying EU countries to do the same.

Complete story at:
http://www.transportenvironment.org/News/2011/2/Crucial-IMO-vote-on-cutting-shipping-emissions-needs-EU-action-now/

Black carbon a new headache for IMO - Carbon Positive

Posted - Wednesday, 16 February 2011 - Carbon Positive

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to grapple with the emerging shipping emissions problem of black carbon. An IMO sub-committee of the MEPC working on the problem has been unable to agree measures to the reduce the pollutant in a meeting in early February. Some member states have raised procedural objections to the way the matter is being handled, halting further progress.
Black carbon is soot or smoke that consists of small particles of burnt material, in pollution jargon they are one form of what is termed particulate matter (PM). While there has not been great environmental concern over emissions of black carbon from ships falling on the open ocean, scientific research suggests that in polar regions it can have a significant negative impact.
The polar ice caps reflect a very high percentage of solar radiation back out into space, acting as an important planet-cooling mechanism. Scientists say the shrinkage of ice caps is already undermining this process and contributing to global warming. They further warn that emissions of black carbon PM in the Arctic that settle on the ice floes will reduce the reflective capacity of the ice that remains. A particle of surface ice will reflect almost all radiation that strikes it, while black matter will absorb almost all.
Recent years have seen global warming increase the rate of Arctic summer thaw to the point where new shipping lanes are opening up that have not previously been considered commercially viable. Shipping lines are eyeing new and shorter intercontinental routes across the Arctic Ocean north of Russia and through the Canadian Arctic.
The issue of black carbon....

Complete Story at:
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2266

Leading academic confirms fluoropolymer foul release hull coating saves an average 9% CO2 - Hellenic Shipping News

Posted February 18, 2011 - Hellenic Shipping News

A report from one of the shipping industryʼs leading research bodies, Professor James Corbettʼs Energy and Environmental Research Associates, has proven that the eco-efficiency benefits of Fluoropolymer Foul Release Technology when applied to tanker,

bulk cargo and other vessel types can reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) and other emissions by an average of 9%. The report, which was today welcomed by the United Kingdomʼs leading environmentalist Jonathon Porritt and Julian Brazier TD MP, chairman of the All Party Maritime and Ports Group underlines the savings achieved using Fluoropolymer non stick technology that has excellent resistant to marine fouling.
Over 400 vessels in the commercial fleet currently use Fluoropolymer Foul Release technology for marine applications, patented by International Paint, making it one of the most widely used eco-efficiency technologies in the shipping market.
The report, on products manufactured by International Paint, the worldʼs largest marine coatings supplier and part of AkzoNobel, analysed the latest fuel consumption data of three vessel types when coated with Fluoropolymer Foul Release technology; Prem Divya, a single engine 21,126 horsepower (HP) tanker, Ikuna, a twin engine 3,400 HP bulker and five identical post panamax container vessels, three of which were coated with TBT free polishing antifoulings and two with Fluoropolymer Foul Release technology.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8668:leading-academic-confirms-fluoropolymer-foul-release-hull-coating-saves-an-average-9-co2&catid=46:top-story-b&Itemid=151

FTA carbon reduction agenda goes global - Materials Handling World Magazine

Posted - 15 February 2011 - Materials Handling World Magazine

A significant step forward in reducing carbon emissions in the global maritime supply chain was taken today when the Freight Transport Association (FTA) joined forces with Heriot-Watt University (HWU) to begin developing definitive best-practice guidance on reducing cargo emissions in global maritime supply chains.
Chris Welsh, FTA's General Manager Global & European Policy, said:
"Although shipping is regarded as a relatively low-energy and environmentally sound way of transporting goods, it is estimated that maritime carbon emissions are likely to grow by three or four times over current rates by 2050. Clearly, this will have to be curbed, but mandatory regulation is not always the fairest or most efficient way of seeing results.

Complete Story at:
http://www.mhwmagazine.co.uk/LatestNews/FTA_carbon_reduction_agenda_goes_global_-8502.html