Speed controls on shipping could save billions in lower ship fuel bills, cut air pollution and enable the shipping industry to play a full part in tackling climate change according to a new report.
Efforts to remove one of the main causes of air pollution and acid rain from shipping have been boosted by a vote in the European Parliament. MEPs on the environment committee have approved draft rules to reduce the sulphur content of marine fuels. The changes now have to be confirmed by environment ministers and by the full Parliament.
On 16 February 2012 the environment committee of the European Parliament will vote on a proposal to limit the sulphur content in fuels used by ships in EU seas. This briefing gives an overview of the key issues at stake.
The IMO’s mandatory efficiency measures for ships, agreed in July, could save ship operators $50 billion a year by 2020.
Questions and answers on the IMO's EEDI: what it does, how it works and what its significance is. Published to coincide with a critical vote at the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee in London, July 2011.