Bid to make vessels “green”

The World Shipping Council and its members have proposed to the International Maritime Organization and its member governments a new global vessel efficiency system, which would improve the carbon and fuel efficiency of the world’s fleet and, therefore, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The proposal is for the maritime organization to apply vessel efficiency design standards for new and existing vessels. Newly-built vessels would be subject to mandatory efficiency standards requiring new ships to be built with features and technologies that would improve energy efficiency to defined levels. The existing vessels too would be subject to improved efficiency standards but to less aggressive standards, considering their limited scope to improve efficiency. (January 25, 2010)