EU asked to put the ‘polluter pays principle’ at the core of emissions trading system
Faig Abbasov, shipping
director at T&E, said: “This is crunch time for the shipping industry. With
the EU deciding on the details of its maritime carbon pricing, it is an
opportunity to put shipping on a path to decarbonisation. A well-crafted
proposal can achieve this without undermining the smooth functioning of the
sector. We call on other shipping companies to join this industry-NGO coalition
to push for an ambitious and effective proposal.”
An alliance of Greek and
Swedish shipowners, along with Transport & Environment (T&E), has
called on the European Commission to put the ‘polluter pays principle’ at the
core of its emissions trading system (ETS) proposal. In a letter to the
Commission, the coalition demands that the maritime ETS be both ambitious and
tailor-made to the industry. This comes as EU regulators outline the details
and the scope of the scheme, which will define how shipping emissions are
regulated in the coming years.
The coalition asks the
Commission to rule out free emission allowances to avoid punishing smaller
companies that have less administrative capacity to take advantage of the
system. This, they say, would ensure both environmental effectiveness and a
level-playing field. They also back the European Parliament’s proposal of
establishing an “Ocean Fund” under the ETS to fund research and development and
the deployment of green fuels, among other things.
The ETS should not be
limited to voyages within the EU, the letter says, but also cover voyages
between the EU and third countries. An intra-EU only ETS would reduce the
environmental effectiveness of the measure and place the burden unfairly on
short-sea shipping companies.
The EU Commission is
revising the EU ETS directive in line with the European Green Deal and it plans
for the first time to include international maritime emissions. The Commission
proposal is expected in June.
IMS
Source: Transport and Environment (T&E)