Options for rating EU ship emissions reviewed

Environment Daily 1944, 20/09/05

The European Commission has published a consultancy report exploring ways to assign air emissions from shipping in EU waters to each member state.  The report takes forward an EU strategy for reducing shipping emissions published in 2002.

The report projects emissions from shipping up to 2020 for sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fine particles and carbon dioxide (CO2).  It was ordered after the European parliament called for work to bring international shipping into the EU's 2001 national emission ceilings directive.

Previous work by the same consultancy - Entec - has already demonstrated that shipping will account for a large share of some kinds of pollution in Europe by 2010 (notably SO2 and NOx).

The new report explores in detail different ways of assigning emissions to EU states.  These include by countries' 12 or 200-mile zones, by ship flag, by fuel sales or by freight tonnes loaded.  It does not provide new overall estimates for international maritime traffic because none of the methods distinguish between international and national shipping.

The report shows significant variation in distribution of ship emissions according to the assignment method used.  For example, if emissions were assigned based on levels in countries' 200-mile zones the Netherlands would report lower emissions relative to other methods, while Greece would report higher emissions.

It recommends assigning emissions by location or by fuel sales as the most promising way forward.  The European Commission is already preparing to investigate these two methods further, an official told Environment Daily.

A second report looking at the potential for emission reductions and their cost is expected later this month. It will be followed by a third aiming to develop market-based instruments to achieve these cuts.

Follow-up: European Commission http://europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm, ship emissions pages http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/transport.htm, and the report http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/pdf/task1_asign_report.pdf.