London: The incoming president of the UK Chamber of Shipping, David Dingle, has issued a rebuttal of the article that appeared on the front page of the UK Guardian newspaper earlier this month alleging that shipping was responsible for more carbon emissions than aviation (see March 5 story).
Dingle, md of Carnival UK, said that "inaccurate reporting" in the newspaper had placed shipping's CO² emissions at 4% of the global total - "two to three times" the level estimated by the recent UK Government-sponsored Stern Report. "Shipping actually produces less greenhouse gases per tonne-mile than any other form of transportation," he added, "and technological advances and the use of larger ships are constantly improving that efficiency. ... Overall, shipping has a good record in terms of the value we add compared to the pollution we generate."
"But we must not be tempted to rest on our laurels," he continued. "None of the core elements of the emissions debate - " sulphur and nitrogen, CO² and particulates " - should be seen in isolation. We need to adopt a holistic approach which ensures that in lowering one type of emission we do not simply raise other emissions. However well we may score on CO² in terms of cargo carried, we must also recognise that all sectors of the economy will ultimately have to address their outputs in absolute as well as relative terms."
The Chamber must therefore be "genuinely committed to continuous improvement,' he concluded, which is why it has set up an Environmental Issues Committee to take matters forward pro-actively. "We must ensure that shipping is seen as part of the solution to the world's environmental challenges, not as part of the problem." [20/03/07]
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