IMO has developed a new set of toolkits to assess and address emissions from ships and ports. The Ship Emissions Toolkit and Port Emissions Toolkit have been developed under the GEF-UNDP-IMO Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project, in collaboration with its strategic partners, IMarEST and IAPH.
Astrid Dispert, GloMEEP Technical Adviser, said the guides would help support countries seeking to develop and strengthen national policy and regulatory frameworks related to the prevention of air pollution and the reduction of GHG emissions from ships.
Both the ship and port emission toolkits provide practical guidance on assessing emissions so that a national emission reduction strategy for the maritime sector can be developed. The GloMEEP guides provide a wealth of information on assessment techniques and how to develop a national strategy, as well as links to further practical guidance,
…Ms. Dispert said.
Both toolkits have been developed through extensive testing and feedback from practical use of the toolkit guides during national and regional training activities held in the 10 lead pilot countries participating in the GloMEEP project.
By utilising these guides, countries can develop national strategies which will address emissions from their maritime sector as a whole – protecting public health and the environment and contributing to the fight against climate change.
The Ship Emissions Toolkit provides a structured framework, as well as decision support tools for evaluating emissions reduction opportunities in maritime transport. It offers guidance to countries seeking to develop and strengthen national policy and regulatory frameworks related to the prevention of air pollution and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
In addition, it encourages the user to assess emissions from and identify emissions reduction opportunities for the domestic fleet. It may well be the case that domestic shipping represents the largest source of emissions in certain countries, and/or becomes the proving ground for low- or zero-carbon technologies that can subsequently be adopted by international shipping. The Ship Emissions Toolkit includes three practical guides:
- Guide 1 – Rapid assessment of ship emissions in the national context: offers guidance for conducting a rapid assessment and generating both quantitative and qualitative information about a country’s maritime emissions status at the time of analysis.
- Guide 2 – Incorporation of MARPOL Annex VI into national law: provides useful information for policy makers and legislators in countries preparing for accession; as well as information for developing the legal framework to implement the regulations in MARPOL Annex VI in the domestic legislation.
- Guide 3 – Development of a national ship emissions reduction strategy: supports countries in developing a national ship emissions reduction strategy that can guide potential policy and investment options.
The Port Emissions Toolkit includes two guides:
- Guide No.1 –Assessment of port emissions: The guide is intended to serve as a resource guide for ports intending to develop or improve their air pollutant or GHG emissions assessments. It incorporates the latest emission inventory methods and approaches. It recognizes that ships do not operate independently from shore-based entities in the maritime transportation system, and that port emission considerations must extend beyond the ships themselves to include all port-related emission sources including: seagoing vessels, domestic vessels, cargo handling equipment, heavy-duty vehicles, locomotives, and electrical grid.
- Guide No.2 –Development of port emissions reduction strategies: The guide is intended to serve as a resource guide for ports intending to develop an emissions reduction strategy (ERS) for port-related emission sources. It describes the approaches and methods that can be used by ports to develop, evaluate, implement, and track voluntary emission control measures that go beyond regulatory requirements.
In the meantime, the last in the series of GloMEEP training activities utilising the Port Emissions Toolkit took place in Panama, on 25-27 September. Participants gained expertise in assessing emissions in ports and devising strategies to address those emissions. This was the tenth such workshop, following similar events run by GloMEEP and IAPH in all the other nine lead pilot countries in the GloMEEP project.
