EMEA News
ICS Warns of "Danger of Unilateral Action" by EU on CO2
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says it is calling for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to develop a global framework for mandatory reporting of ships' fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions while avoiding piecemeal regional regulations and deferring discussions on how the information will be used to improve efficiency.
The shipping group argues that member states should be able to develop the reporting rules relatively quickly by sidestepping "politically controversial" proposals such as charges applied to ships depending on their efficiency.
"The recent impasse at IMO on making further progress is due to difficulties unconnected with shipping and imported from the UNFCCC," said ICS Secretary General Peter Hinchliffe.
"However, IMO is now confronted by the danger of unilateral action by the European Union which is already considering a draft Regulation on monitoring and reporting of ships' emissions which risks destroying the possibility of a global approach towards shipping and CO2."
The ICS said CO2 emission reductions are already "very incentivised" by the high cost of bunkers and the introduction of IMO rules on sulfur emissions.
The group said it is less concerned with the content of the draft EU regulation on CO2 emissions than with its timing and level of detail, since global rules developed by the IMO might end up being in conflict with the EU rules.
The proposed EU rules, which environmental groups have called "timid," would create a framework for collecting and publishing data from ships calling at European ports starting in January 2018.
EU officials have said the rules are in line with international regulations being discussed by the IMO.
