EMEA News
Shipping Industry Group Backs MRV Plans
International shipping industry group the Global Shippers' Forum (GSF) says it is backing a European Commission (EC) plan for the monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of ships' carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
"Shippers are increasingly demanding verifiable greenhouse gas data from ocean carriers so that they in turn can accurately benchmark the carbon footprint of their supply chains," said GSF Secretary General Chris Welsh.
"We hope the Commission's initiative will push the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to promptly accomplish what it set out to achieve - a global agreement on reducing ghg [green house gas] emissions in the global maritime industry."
Welch said the global shipping industry needs a uniform set of international regulations that can help reduce emissions, which should be created by the IMO.
Since the IMO has had difficulty developing such a system, the GSF said the European plan will provide testing and time for the development of a global system.
Environmental groups called the EC proposal, which requires ships stopping at European ports to monitor and report their emissions, "timid" because it does not include incentives to reduce emissions or address pollutants other than CO2.
