The International Maritime Organisation’s chief and the EU Transport Commissioner called for global solutions in the issue of reducing Green House Gases in shipping.
Kitack Lim, the IMO Secretary-General and Adina Valean, the EU Commissioner were speaking at a panel discussion during the Maritime Conference 2022 titled “Shipping Response to the 3 Cs” namely crisis, challenges and change.
“Climate change knows borders, it requires global solutions, there are challenges but also opportunities and we must all work together”, he IMO chief said.
He also stressed that “our globalised world, the pandemic showed how reliant we are to global supply chains.”
“Technology holds the key for more efficient and sustainable shipping”, Lim added, noting that next year is considered to be crucial as the organisation will implement its revised CHG strategy.
The IMO chief said the strategy includes the various levels of ambition in combating climate change.
“I am confident that progress will continue on a global level in the upgraded CHG levels,” he went on to say.
On her part, Commissioner Valean said the last years were no easy for shipping, following the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, noting that the EU maritime sector has seen less disruption which showed what the EU EU maritime community has done.
But she noted “we cannot be complacent, we need to build a more resilient maritime sector,” adding our role is to set a “clear and stable framework” for the shipping industry.
Moreover, the EU Commissioner said the EU is technology neutral in terms of the means to achieve CHG reduction in shipping noting that “we are interested in outcome but you know best how to get there.”
However, Valean noted that “we are to a point in time in which we are forced to rethink our relationship with fuels.”
Valean acknowledged that “things cannot change over-night,” adding that “but we need to set our sights to the end-goal” for climate neutrality.
“We need clear rules at a global level,” she concluded.
Cyprus Deputy Minister for Shipping, Vassilis Demetriades, who narrated the discussion, stressed that regulators should be mindful of an additional “C”, namely certainty in the regulatory environment.
“It seems that all regulatory leaders are on the same boat, there is a clear commitment to reach global solutions. We should le great listeners to the industry and act facilitators for the shipping community to become greener and competitive,” he said.
Shipowners and Chairman also call for global solutions
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In a discussion, Philippos Philis, Chairman of the European Community Shipowners Association, said he EU is moving faster towards climate neutrality and highlighted the need he EU shipping should safeguard its competitiveness.
“It is important to maintain our competitiveness,” he said and he pointed to the risk of retaliation stating that if one jurisdiction implements stricter standards another jurisdiction could respond with even stricter requirements.
On his part, Themis Papadopoulos, Vice Chairman of International Chamber of Shipping, said climate change knows no borders, adding that solutions for decarbonisation need to be global.
He also said that regional regulations are less likely to be reciprocated by other regions.
“We really need to use this time to have an agreement in the IMO, it is not an easy task but somehow we need to differences aside and find a common ground,” Papadopoulos said.
Source: Cyprus News Agency