The Role of International Maritime Organizations in Promoting Sustainable Shipping Practices

Posted: June 18th, 2022

The Role of International Maritime Organizations in Promoting Sustainable Shipping Practices
The world’s oceans play a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth, facilitating global trade, and regulating the planet’s climate. However, the shipping industry, which transports an estimated 90% of world trade, has a significant impact on the marine environment. Consequently, international maritime organizations have taken proactive steps to promote sustainable shipping practices, aiming to mitigate the industry’s environmental footprint and ensure the long-term viability of maritime activities.

Maritime Pollution and Its Impacts
The shipping industry is a major contributor to various forms of pollution, including air emissions, oil spills, and the discharge of ballast water and waste. These pollutants have far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems, human health, and the global climate.

Air Emissions: Ships burn heavy fuel oil, a low-quality and highly polluting fuel, releasing significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM). These emissions contribute to climate change, acid rain, and respiratory health issues (Viana et al., 2014).

Oil Spills: Oil spills from maritime accidents or operational discharges can have devastating effects on marine life, coastal ecosystems, and local economies dependent on fishing and tourism. Oil pollution also poses risks to human health through the consumption of contaminated seafood (Bakke et al., 2013).

Ballast Water and Waste Discharge: Ships take on ballast water to maintain stability during voyages, but this water can carry invasive aquatic species that can disrupt local ecosystems when discharged at different ports. Additionally, the discharge of sewage, garbage, and other waste from ships can contaminate marine environments (Gollasch et al., 2020).

The Role of International Maritime Organizations
To address these environmental challenges, several international maritime organizations have established regulations, guidelines, and initiatives to promote sustainable shipping practices.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The IMO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, is the primary global regulator of the shipping industry. It has adopted various conventions and regulations to reduce the industry’s environmental impact, including:

1. International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL): This convention sets limits on the discharge of oil, noxious liquids, sewage, and garbage from ships, as well as the emission of air pollutants (IMO, 2022a).

2. International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention): This convention aims to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species through the regulation of ballast water management and treatment (IMO, 2022b).

3. Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP): These measures aim to reduce GHG emissions from ships by promoting energy-efficient ship design and operation (IMO, 2022c).

4. Sulphur Oxide (SOx) Emission Control Areas (ECAs): These designated areas have stricter limits on the sulfur content of marine fuels to reduce air pollution (IMO, 2022d).

International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH)
The IAPH is a global alliance of ports and harbors committed to promoting sustainable port operations and facilitating international trade. It has developed guidelines and tools to assist ports in implementing environmental management systems, reducing air emissions, and improving energy efficiency (IAPH, 2022).

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
The ICS is a global trade association representing national shipowners’ associations and advocating for the shipping industry’s interests. It has supported the implementation of IMO regulations and has developed best practices for reducing the environmental impact of shipping operations (ICS, 2022).

Challenges and Future Directions
Despite the efforts of international maritime organizations, the shipping industry still faces significant challenges in achieving sustainable practices.

Technological Barriers: Developing and implementing new technologies for reducing emissions, treating ballast water, and improving energy efficiency can be costly and time-consuming for shipowners and operators.

Enforcement and Compliance: Ensuring compliance with international regulations and guidelines remains a challenge, particularly in regions with limited resources or capacity for monitoring and enforcement.

Economic Considerations: Implementing sustainable shipping practices can increase operational costs, which may be passed on to consumers or impact the competitiveness of certain shipping routes or companies.

Future efforts to promote sustainable shipping practices may involve:

1. Strengthening international cooperation and coordination among maritime organizations, governments, and industry stakeholders.
2. Investing in research and development of alternative fuels, such as biofuels, hydrogen, or ammonia, to reduce GHG emissions.
3. Promoting the use of shore power and alternative energy sources in ports to reduce air pollution.
4. Encouraging the adoption of digital technologies and data analytics to improve energy efficiency and optimize shipping operations.
5. Enhancing education and training programs to raise awareness and build capacity among maritime professionals.

Conclusion
International maritime organizations play a crucial role in promoting sustainable shipping practices by establishing regulations, guidelines, and initiatives aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of the shipping industry. However, achieving truly sustainable shipping requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including governments, shipowners, port authorities, and maritime professionals. By addressing technological barriers, improving enforcement and compliance, and considering economic factors, the shipping industry can continue to facilitate global trade while minimizing its environmental footprint and ensuring the long-term viability of maritime activities.

References

Bakke, T., Klungsøyr, J., & Sanni, S. (2013). Environmental impacts of produced water and drilling waste discharges from the Norwegian offshore petroleum industry. Marine Environmental Research, 92, 154-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2013.09.012

Gollasch, S., David, M., Brodie, J., Murphy, K., & Bax, N. (2020). Invasion vectors and pathways of marine alien species: Vectors exert more influence than pathways. Biological Invasions, 22(12), 3469-3484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-020-02344-0

International Association of Ports and Harbors. (2022). Environment and sustainability. https://www.iaphworldports.org/priorities/environment-and-sustainability

International Chamber of Shipping. (2022). Environment. https://www.ics-shipping.org/environment/

International Maritime Organization. (2022a). International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). https://www.imo.org/en/About/Conventions/Pages/International-Convention-for-the-Prevention-of-Pollution-from-Ships-(MARPOL).aspx

International Maritime Organization. (2022b). International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM). https://www.imo.org/en/About/Conventions/Pages/International-Convention-for-the-Control-and-Management-of-Ships’-Ballast-Water-and-Sediments-(BWM).aspx

International Maritime Organization. (2022c). Energy Efficiency Measures. https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/Pages/Energy-Efficiency-Measures.aspx

International Maritime Organization. (2022d). Sulphur Oxides (SOx) – Regulation 14. https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/Pages/Sulphur-oxides-(SOx)-–-Regulation-14.aspx

Viana, M., Hammingh, P., Colette, A., Querol, X., Degraeuwe, B., Vlieger, I. D., & Aardenne, J. V. (2014). Impact of maritime transport emissions on coastal air quality in Europe. Atmospheric Environment, 90, 96-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.03.046