Asia/Pacific News
EU ETS for Shipping Will Impede Decarbonisation: Asian Shipowners
The European Union's plans to include shipping within its emissions trading system risk slowing progress on maritime decarbonisation, according to the Asian Shipowners' Association.
The industry body set out its opposition to the plans in a press release on Tuesday, saying they will undermine efforts at the IMO to address the problem at a global level.
"IMO is the only appropriate forum for the development of a market-based measure applicable to global shipping," the organisation said in the statement.
"The ASA Safe Navigation and Environment Committee is very concerned that the inclusion of shipping in the EU ETS is being taken forward with little apparent understanding of the implications for the ongoing negotiations at IMO to eliminate GHG emissions from the sector globally, or the wider ramifications for the EU's relationships with its trading partners.
"Rather than incentivising the transition to zero-carbon technologies, the extension of the EU ETS to shipping will only serve to impede the process of decarbonisation of international shipping."
The organisation backs shipping industry groups' proposal to impose a $2/mt global levy on bunker sales to fund decarbonisation research projects, it added.
