EMEA News
Ships May Risk Future Eco Activist Inspired Arrest: Report
The prospect of ships being arrested for not adhering closely enough to greenhouse gas emission targets has been raised by maritime lawyers.
Partiicpants at a recent seminar in London were told that activist groups could identify ports in countries where they had the best chance of success and generating publicity.
The 1952 Brussels convention on ship arrests uses broad language that could be adopted by campaigners for climate change litigation, maritime lawyer Haris Zografakis of Stephenson Harwood pointed out.
"I'm not saying that this will happen, what I'm saying is … decarbonisation will be shaped by the courts," he was quoted as saying by maritime news provider Tradewinds.
Researchers have found more than 2,000 cases of climate change litigation with the energy sector representing about half of the cases brought, the seminar heard.
To date, environmentalists have targetted the cruise sector although this action has been on public health grounds and the quality of air in port areas.
