By
Rebecca Gibson |
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has joined with other shipping and environmental organisations to call for ship operators to be prohibited from carrying non-compliant marine fuels when the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) global 0.5% sulphur cap takes effect in 2020.
In a joint statement issued alongside other organisations, CLIA expressed its concern that the IMO’s 2020 sulphur cap will not deliver the promised ‘substantial environmental and human health benefits’ if governments fail to consistently implement and enforce it worldwide. The statement argued that this could also lead to ‘serious market distortion and unfair competition’.
The statement was issued ahead of a critical IMO meeting in February, where proposals for a carriage ban will be discussed by governments. Other organisations that have signed the statement include: BIMCO, Clean Shipping Coalition, Friends of the Earth US, International Chamber of Shipping, International Parcel Tankers’ Association, INTERTANKO, Pacific Environment, World Shipping Council, and WWF Global Arctic Programme.
Several international associations representing the global shipping industry, as well as the Cook Islands and Norway, have already submitted proposals to IMO to ban the carriage of non-compliant fuels. These proposals call for an amendment to Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention, stipulating that ships should not carry fuel for propulsion with a sulphur content above 0.5%, unless they are using an approved alternative compliance method (such as scrubbers).