Shipping ‘needs to step outside its bubble’
It became very apparent during last week’s digital Greener Shipping Summit 2020 that the European Union has its work cut out as it strives to tackle the burning issue of the decarbonization of the maritime industry.
The summit, organized by Newsfront/Naftiliaki, was the final event in the Posidonia Web Forums series “It’s Time to Talk.”
It also became evident during the event that the decarbonization of shipping remains a pressing matter for people across the entire spectrum of the maritime industry, whether they be engaging in enforcing regulations, operating ships, or servicing ships.
“It is very important to include in the [European] Commission’s forthcoming proposal on FuelEU Maritime a twin emissions reduction target that takes into account fuels and the efficiency of ships. The proposal should be technology-neutral and goal-based. It should not incentivize specific fuels and should be aligned with [International Maritime Organization] decarbonization objectives,” insisted Maria Spyraki, an MEP with New Democracy.
Shipowner Ioanna Procopiou, said shipping needs “to step outside its bubble” and “educate the people who are making the decisions for the industry” as the IMO “is often blindsided by regional governments.”
Further, Procopiou pointed out that for a fuel to be “really green,” it has to be produced using a “green method” and not from a fossil fuel which has a “debatable footprint,” so, she concluded, it’s important not to just evaluate the fuel once it is on board the ship, but through a total life-cycle analysis.
