Green Economy in a Blue World-Full Report

Number of spills Large spills from 1970 to 2010

10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Average

0 5

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

Note: large spills is defined asover 700 tonnes or more

Source: ITOPF

in a Blue World

guidelines also adopted at IMO and by well- established industry guidance on best practice, developed by the industry’s highly organized international trade associations (ICS, 2012c). The immediate challenge is to build on what, for the most part, are already significant levels of ratification and implementation of international conventions on pollution prevention by IMO Member States, which the Organization helps ensure through a wide range of technical cooperation programmes directed at those States within emerging and developing economies (see section 3.1 below). Significantly, IMO has developed a Member State Audit Scheme, whereby the performance of flag, port and coastal States with regard to the implementation and enforcement of IMO instruments – including those relevant to environmental protection – is audited, on a voluntary basis, by other IMO Member States, in order to identify possible areas for improvement. It has also been agreed in principle, by governments at IMO, that the Audit Scheme should become mandatory as of 2015 (IMO, 2012f ). This, in itself, should considerably improve uniform implementation and enforcement of IMO standards, bringing further improvements to the safety and environmental records of shipping. In this regard, the most obvious potential source of serious pollution from ships is the discharge of oil (cargoes or bunkers) as a result of ship losses. However, there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of major oil spills over the last four decades, including since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Amajor concern for the shipping industry, and its regulators, is the maintenance of high standards

of ship construction and inspection. Significant improvements to construction, maintenance and survey standards, relevant to environmental protection, have been underwritten by frequent amendments to the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 1974 (IMO, 2012g). In this regard, in 2010, IMO adopted important amendments to that Convention to implement new Goal-based Standards (GBS) for the construction of bulk carriers and oil tankers (IMO, 2012h). As a consequence, it is expected that shipbuilding standards will be enhanced so that, with an appropriate level of maintenance and adequate margins for corrosion, future ships will be built to remain ‘fit for purpose’ throughout their typical 25-year life spans. The shipbuilding industry, together with classification societies (international maritime survey organizations and depositories of industry’s technical knowledge, which oversee the construction of ships), is constantly seeking to develop new, safer and improved ship designs (IACS, 2012). In combination with more vigorous maintenance and survey standards, and improvements to areas such as navigation systems and seafarers’ training standards, this hasmadecatastrophic structural failure–and the substantial pollution which can result – far less likely. Continuing improvements in shipbuilding standards clearly represent major opportunities with respect to the green economy. Concerning the discharge of oily water from machinery spaces, and accidental spillage of oil cargoes and ships’ bunkers, opportunities also exist for the further improvement of equipment designs (ICS, 2012d).

Similarly, opportunities are also created by the need to develop equipment which treats a ship’s

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