GHG challenge awaits new IMO chief
Looking for clues as to industry's regulatory future Many in shipping have been looking for clues as to industry's regulatory future in the election this week of a new chief of International Maritime Organization (IMO), Japan's Koji Sekimizu, currently director of the IMO's maritime safety division.On the thorny issue of greenhouse-gas (GHG) regulation, the IMO is currently exploring market-based measures (MBMs) to cut emissions and mulling a decision to make energy efficiency standards in ship design and operation mandatory. It appears any big decisions on market measures for international shipping will be made under the Sekimizu reign between 2012 and 2015.It is hard to gauge how his appointment will affect the direction of such regulation. Certainly, he can't be seen to be using his position to push Japan's MBM proposal for a bunker levy scheme designed to reward energy efficiency in ships. As to Semikizu's ability to oversee resolution in shipping's GHG emissions challenge, which has eluded his predecessors up to now, opinions differ.Lloyds List comments: "As a long-time insider Mr Semikizu might not be the Richard Branson-style candidate to shake up the organisation, as many people appeared to favour in a Lloyd's List's poll. But he is highly respected ...
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