THE two global shipowners and ship management associations, BIMCO and
the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), have applauded the ship
emissions strategy adopted on April 13 in London by the UN's
International Maritime Organisation.

The strategy sets a target of 50 per cent green house gas emission
reduction by 2050, using 2008 as the starting date with a view to
reducing them to zero by the year 2100.

"The IMO has done something no one has done before - set an absolute
target for emission reductions for an entire industry," said Lars
Robert Pedersen, deputy secretary general of the Baltic and
International Maritime Council (BIMCO).

Said ICS secretary general Peter Hinchliffe: "This is a ground
breaking agreement that sets a very high level of ambition for the
future reduction of CO2 emissions.

The ICS acknowledged that some governments would have preferred to see
the adoption of even more aggressive targets, but it argued that a 50
per cent total cut by 2050 can only be achieved with the development
and widespread use of zero CO2 fuels.

Said Mr Pedersen: The target is ambitious, but not impossible. "In
BIMCO we believe that the industry can deliver on this target - even
if we don't exactly know how, yet.

"Now we have to focus on the mid-to-long term. We have to find the
technology and procedures that will drive us towards zero GHG
emissions," he said.

Said Mr Hinchliffe: "The industry is very encouraged by the
willingness of governments to move to a position that demonstrates
that IMO is the only body that can meaningfully address the CO2
emissions of international shipping."