Criticism from International Maritime Organization secretary general Kitack Lim over European plans to involve shipping in emissions trading has been welcomed by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA).
Lim wrote a letter to European Union executives and expressed his concerns over a future emissions trading scheme.
He was later heavily criticized by the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC), which described Lim’s comments as “unfortunate”.
Earlier today, IMCA endorsed IMO’s roadmap for developing a strategy to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.
According to the agreed timeline, IMO will initiate its decision making on further measures to tackle the challenge of GHG from shipping in 2022.
John Bradshaw, IMCA’s policy and regulatory affairs manager, said: “We welcomed the unanimous international decision at IMO on this important issue; obtaining it took many years of negotiations and intense discussions.
“We are therefore disturbed by recent developments that saw the EU Environment Committee agree in mid-December on a set of reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System for the period 2021-2030 and set to include shipping by 2023.”
IMCA added that it supports the intervention of Lim and would urge MEPs to ensure that shipping is not included in the EU’s final legislation.
