IMO gets credit for making green progress

AS WELL as a whole raft of other workmanlike moves to safeguard the marine environment, two really big issues were tackled by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) a fortnight ago. One has major practical implications for the global shipping industry right now.

That was the Marine Environment Protection Committee's (MEPC) confirmation of the 2020 start date for a 0.5 per cent sulphur in fuel limit, applicable globally outside Emission Control Areas where a stricter 0.1 per cent limit already applies. The reason for acting on sulphur is to cut pollution that is harmful to human health. In other words, it is about saving lives.

The other big issue is about saving the planet. In the wake of the Paris Agreement on limiting greenhouse gases, which came into force last week, IMO has been under pressure to take action. This was particularly so because the international aviation industry has recently agr…