ICS: Shipping provides green growth

ICS stressed that without shipping, the movement of raw materials and energy and the transport of manufactured goods in bulk, would simply not be possible.

ICS Regulatory affairs director, David Tongue, told Rio+20 delegates: “Shipping carries about 90% of world trade but is by far the greenest form of commercial transport producing between 40 and 100 times less CO2 per tonne of cargo moved one kilometre, than cargo aviation and significantly less than trains and trucks.”

Shipping is the only industrial sector to be covered by a binding international agreement for the further reduction of CO2 emissions, which will deliver a 20% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020.

One of the central pillars of IMO Regulation, the MARPOL Convention, is enforced by over 150 nations and applies to 99% of the world fleet. MARPOL regulates all aspects of ship pollution, ranging from oil and chemicals through to atmospheric pollution, such as sulphur.

ICS also pointed out that lessons can be learned across industry by looking at how shipping regulations are enforced – a sea voyage with different rules applying at different ends of a voyage would spell chaos for global trade.