Activists from Greenpeace Germany peacefully protested the import of soya from destroyed forest and savanna regions in Brazil, expected to be carried on the cargo ship “Hiroshima Star” in the Lower Weser river of Germany. The large-scale cultivation of soya plays a major role in emissions, the NGO noted.
The Korean register launched a greenhouse gas online data management system called ‘KR GEARs’ (GHG Emission Authentic Reporting System) to assist shipowners be in compliance with the GHG regulations imposed in the shipping industry.
Nine Pacific islands threatened by the adverse effects of climate change expressed their concern about the lack of ambition shown by developed nations on climate crisis and signed the Nadi Bay Declaration, urging for immediate action on GHG emissions, including shipping.
The European Commission elected a new President. Ursula von der Leyen, the new President of the European Commission who won MEPs’ votes, has recently presented her ambitious vision for a greener Europe. Namely, Mrs. Von der Leyen urged for immediate climate and environmental action that could transform Europe over the next five years. However, some of her goals contravene those of the shipping industry’s as set by the IMO.
Société Générale, Crédit Agricole and Global Maritime Forum presented the Poseidon Principles on July 23, at the French Ministry for the Ecological and Solidary Transition. This initiative aims to help the shipping industry play an even bigger part in mitigating climate change.
BIMCO’s Deputy Secretary General, Lars Robert Pedersen, discusses how the shipping industry can accomplish speed reduction in a way to achieve cutting emissions and whether measuring a vessel’s speed is an easy task. In general, the shipping industry should question itself whether speed limits help cut emissions, or they are walking towards the wrong path of cutting the industry’s GHG emissions.
In an exclusive interview with SAFETY4SEA, Dr. Harilaos Psaraftis, Professor at the Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Management Science Division of Technical University of Denmark (DTU), clarifies the difference between the terms “speed optimization” and “speed reduction” and how speed reduction can lead to GHG emissions reductions.
US Chevron and partner, Woodside Petroleum, is under discussions for approval to modify its plans for the Kitimat LNG export facility on Canada’s Pacific Coast to an all-electric design. Both partners aim to reduce GHG emissions. The project is proposing to become an all-electric plant powered by hydroelectricity, allowing expanded capacity without the corresponding increase in emissions of a traditional LNG facility.
During the 2019 Hellenic American Maritime Forum in Athens, Mr. Panos Kourkountis, Technical Director, Sea Traders SA, focused on 2020 sulphur cap and the operators’ perspective regarding the GHG emission reduction. He noted that unless safe, cheap and CO2 free fuel is made available in the near future, the shipping industry must implement a combination of emissions reduction measures to achieve 2030 and 2050 goals.
The International Energy Agency has created an independent high-level global commission to examine how progress on energy efficiency can be quickly accelerated through new and stronger policy action. IEA calculates that with the right policies, the global economy could double in size by 2040 while still maintaining broadly the same level of energy use as today.
