The Global Shippers' Forum has published the second edition of its Maritime Emissions Briefing Note. The Briefing Note was launched at the Clean Cargo Working Group's Fall Meeting held in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, by Bruce Carlton, GSF Board member and President and CEO of the National Industrial Transportation League, USA. Mr Carlton said: "We are delighted to collaborate with the CCWG and have the opportunity of launching our Maritime Briefing Note to some of the world's leading shippers and carriers at the cutting edge of efforts to reduce maritime emissions.
"The CCWG is to be applauded for its on-going efforts in championing industry best practices and developing practical industry tools and solutions to improve the environmental performance of the maritime supply chain.”
GSF's Maritime Briefing Note provides a comprehensive assessment of the various emissions schemes and proposals tabled by governments, the shipping industry and other non-governmental organisations currently under consideration by the International Maritime Organization. The Briefing Note also considers the main industry-based schemes, including GSF's own maritime supply chain decarbonisation initiative undertaken in conjunction with Heriot- Watt University, Edinburgh.
Signe Bruun Jensen, Environment Partnership & Policy Manager, Maersk Line said: "We are really impressed with the Briefing Note. Maersk Line acknowledges the important role that shippers play in this debate, and welcomes closer collaboration to deliver tangible change in the industry.”
Chris Welsh, Secretary General of the GSF said: "The Briefing Note underscores the fact that shippers are increasingly driving environmental improvement, not only through collaboration with partners in the supply chain, but through competition based on carriers' environmental performance.”
"In developing an appropriate global market-based maritime emissions reduction scheme that will be acceptable to shippers, it must target operational efficiency, focusing on efficient management of fuel and fuel costs, and the lowest carbon cost per unit moved.
"We therefore welcome the fuel monitoring approach recently announced by the European Commission, which could provide the basis for accurate data on fuel consumption which could be the basis for an acceptable efficiency-focused approach going forward.
"It is for these reasons that GSF is calling for shippers to have a greater say in the development of any global market-based initiative to be agreed in IMO and other international bodies such as the EU, not least because shippers will ultimately bear the costs of such schemes.”
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Source: Global Shippers Forum