Americas News
Publish Shipping Efficiency Data, NGOs Urge IMO
Environment campaigner and member of the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC), Transport & Environment (T&E), says that it and other NGOs are calling on the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) not to go ahead with plans to restrict access to its energy efficiency design index (EEDI) data.
T&E said it was adding its voice to fellow CSC member Seas at Risk (SAR) and Richard Branson headed Carbon War Room to urge the MEPC to allow access to the data.
"One of the principle barriers to the sector reducing its emissions is the lack of publicly available data on the energy performance of individual ships," said T&E.
It says shippers argue that such information is commercially sensitive and should be kept private, but T&E says public availability of similar data has led to emissions reductions in the automotive industry and has been commonplace in the U.S. aviation industry for decades.
Furthermore, the shipping industry would benefit from the publishing of EEDI data, says T&E.
"Failure to make efficiency data transparent would be neither productive, nor in the best economic interests of the industry; freely available information is the key to promoting energy efficiency and driving down industry costs," it said.
"Disclosure of efficiency data ensures greater competition, prompting more calls for transparency from many shippers, cargo owners and operators," continued T&E.
Carbon War Room said it "knows a lack of access to data is a major barrier to the take up of clean technologies, so we urge the IMO to deliver open access to EEDI data."
Carbon War Room recently predicted that up to ten ports could introduce discounts for ships designed and maintained to reduce fuel consumption.
