Washington: The US and European Union (EU) could pre-empt international regulations on Co2, a roundtable hosted as part of the fifth international Sustainable Shipping Conference in Washington DC heard last week.
The panel, which included representatives from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), European Commission, environmental group Oceana and international ship operators Maersk and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, also heard calls for 'bridging incentives' to pre-empt regulations in order to encourage take-up of proven emission reduction technologies such as scrubbing and fuel re-heat.
The IMO appears to have stalled in its attempts to come up with a Co2 and other greenhouse gases (GHG) agreement for international shipping ahead of the United Nations' Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in late 2009.
Reflecting the views of some panel members, Joseph J Cox, President and CEO of the Chamber of Shipping of America, admitted that it was likely that either the United States or the EU, or both, would 'take some major steps' towards implementing regulations ahead of the IMO and UNFCCC, as debate continues over which body will regulate the shipping industry.
Further coverage of this topic will be included in a special supplement on Sustainable Shipping to be published by Seatrade in early 2009. [06/11/09]
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