The Vancouver Maritime Centre for Climate (VMCC) has announced the launch of Operation Flagship, aiming to facilitate climate solution pilots and accelerate the adoption of emission reduction solutions.
The purpose of these pilot projects is to help ship owners, operators, ports and terminals, as well as the supporting land-based infrastructure source innovative and sustainable solutions suited to their operating profile to help them to reduce their GHG emissions or to decarbonize completely.
In just one year, VMCC has gone from an idea discussed over lunch, to a rapidly expanding start-up. Our community is already taking action to address climate change and reduce their carbon footprint, so it’s important that we work with them to help them get the tools and resources they need to not only meet but exceed emission targets coming down the pipeline,
…says VMCC’s co-founder Elisabeth Charmley.
VMCC is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the transition to a zero-emissions shipping industry within British Columbia’s maritime waters, for both the local captive fleet and transient shippers, in line with climate targets established by the IΜΟ, Federal Government and the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy.
Operation Flagship is designed to bring together innovators with site hosts to demonstrate the effectiveness of new or existing decarbonizing solutions. This program will help to accelerate and scale solutions that have real impacts on maritime industry emissions,
…says co-founder, Bryan Buggey.
Speaking at the VMCC launch on April 30th, Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and MP for the North Vancouver riding, summarized the Canadian Government’s new target commitments of a 40-45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2030. He acknowledged that Canada is on track to meet a 36% reduction, but still more needs to be done.
Also speaking at the VMCC launch was Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans who stressed:
Our government’s commitment to addressing climate change aligns very closely with the goals that VMCC has set, and this means opportunity for all of us. The carbon footprint of global shipping generates about 3% of world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Considering the industry’s potential for growth, this figure will continue to rise if left unchecked. So, it’s great to see leaders like yourselves ensuring a clean future.
