oct-2017

94 95 BWMConvention. LOWERING EMISSIONS Consistent with land-based industries,marine enter- prises are seekingways inwhich theycan reduce their emissions and contribute to the overall welfare of the planet.While shipping contributes aminor amount compared to land based counterparts, opportunities exist to improve its performance. Much of the signature work in this area occurred at last October’s Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 70), during which a roadmap for addressing GHGs was agreed to.This process for developing an initial strategy would commence in 2018,with a finalized strategy to be presented in 2023. Developing benchmarks in the maritime industry is challenging as each vessel needs to be consid- ered individually. It is hoped that much information will be available through the Energy Efficiency and Design Index (EEDI) for new ships. Measuring out- puts on existing ships ismuchmore difficult as even sister ships can demonstrate variances in reporting metrics; but currently in use is SEEMP (Ship Energy EfficiencyManagement Plan). One of the signature decisions at last October’s NAMEPA meetingwas the determination to institute a .5% global sulphur cap in 2020,down from today’s 3.5%.To accommodate this change,shipowners are nowlook- ing towards either installing“scrubbers”(equipment which resides in the ship’s stack that“scrubs”the emis- sions of sulphur,nitrous oxide,and particulatematter) or paying higher fuel prices. There is also the issue of availability,as refineries are not set up for this quantity of .5% lowsulphur fuel,so supply is a big issue. MOVING FORWARD Themaritime industry is also subject to a social license to operate granted by the public.To support the industry,NAMEPAis building a Corporate Social Re- sponsibility toolkit incorporating corporate governance, environmental preservation, and the human element. An additional component is a mariner and shore side marine environment protection education and credentialing program so the level of expertise in this area is heightened. One of the oldest industries, it is changing more rapidly than ever before, providing investment opportunities, new technologies, and more.NAMEPA is working to help shape the discussion around these changes,and to ensure that we continue to“Save our Seas.” WHAT: A marine industry-led nonprofit association WHERE: Southport, Connecticut WEBSITE: www.namepa.net AT A GLANCE NAMEPA