CO2 reduction from shipping at the centre of ECSA’s meeting

During ECSA’s seminar on CO2 reductions from shipping this week, European Shipowners met with stakeholders and European decision-makers to discuss different measures that will minimize the environmental impact of the shipping sector.

    “In one analysis, the measures were divided in categories including the Technical and operational measures, Alternative fuels and Logistics related to the speed management of a vessel”, explained Tor Christian Sletner, the Chairman of ECSA’s Air Emissions Working Group and Director, Head of Environment of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.

The seminar on the CO2 reduction was organized in the light of the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) latest meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC71) last July and in view of the second meeting of the intersessional working group on reduction of GHG from ships in October 2017.

In the event, shipowners presented their initiatives followed by a debate with stakeholders, including the Commission, maritime attachees, European Parliament’s representatives and NGOs such as Transport and Environment.

Mr Slenter noted that ECSA’s aim is to promote ambitious short, mid and long term global measures in line with IMO MEPC71 roadmap for the CO2 reductions from international shipping, and the Paris COP21 Agreement on climate change.

    “We feel that the shipping industry is fully engaged in advancing the emission reduction agenda. We call for the EU Member States to proactively engage IMO’s global members that IMO continues to seriously address CO2 reduction for ships and adopts an IMO CO2 strategy as soon as possible, as a global solution is what our industry indeed needs”, he concluded.