Shipping escapes EU emissions trading net — for now

NOVEMBER 13, 2017 — The European Parliament and the EU member states last Thursday agreed on a revision of the EU’s Emissions Trading System, ETS, that does not subject shipping to the system.

The agreement came after long negotiations until late into the night and, from the outset, the European Parliament was eager to include shipping in the trading system from 2023 in the event of insufficient progress in the IMO’s negotiations on a CO2 strategy.

Those opposing this path included Danish Shipping which hails the agreement reached Thursday is a success. It gives IMO the responsibility to come forward with an ambitious agreement in 2023. Only then, will the EU act if progress at IMO has been insufficient.

“We are very pleased that the two processes are now adapted to each other, instead of the EU impeding the current IMO work,” says Casper Andersen, Director of EU Affairs at Danish Shipping.

“The Parliament has for a long time been dissatisfied with the pace and ambitions of the IMO negotiations and therefore continuously maintains the pressure by proposing own initiatives,” adds Mr. Andersen. “The pressure is now on IMO to deliver an ambitious strategy, but now the IMO countries have been given the time.”S