A 'China solution' for global shipping

China's measures to promote the high-quality development of shipping are clear and specific, laying the foundation for China's shipping industry to achieve carbon peak as soon as possible, and also providing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for international shipping emission reduction.

The shipping industry is the artery of global trade and plays an important role in promoting world economic and trade development and stabilizing global supply chains. According to the report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), more than 70% of the current international trade volume and more than 80% of the international trade volume are achieved by sea. But at the same time, the emission problem of the shipping industry has been concerned by the international community for a long time, and how to achieve green transformation has become a difficult problem faced by the global shipping industry.

In response to the pollution problems caused by the shipping industry, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has formulated the International Convention for the Prevention, reduction and control of pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention), and its annex VI is dedicated to reducing atmospheric pollutants from ships. With the continuous improvement of its international status and the concept of green development, China, as one of the States parties to the Convention, is playing an increasingly important role in maintaining, implementing and developing the MARPOL Convention, effectively practicing the requirements put forward by the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system, and contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the solution of human problems.

First of all, China actively integrates with the international shipping emission reduction rules and promotes the green development of the domestic shipping industry. Drawing on the IMO's practice of improving the design level of ships' energy conservation and emission reduction through the Ship Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), China issued the Fuel Consumption Limit and Verification Method for Operating Ships and the CO2 emission Limit and Verification Method for Operating Ships in 2012. Referring to the "Ship Emission Control Area" (ECA) policy in MARPOL Convention, China began to set up ship emission control areas in coastal waters in 2015 in accordance with the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law. In 2016, China issued the "Emission Limits and Measurement Methods of Marine Engine Exhaust Pollutants (China's first and second stages)". More stringent standards have been adopted to control the emission of air pollutants from ships, and since 2017, the scope of waters limiting the sulfur content control requirements for the use of fuel oil by ships has been continuously increased. In 2018, the Maritime Safety Administration of the People's Republic of China issued the "Management Measures for the Collection of Ship Energy Consumption Data", requiring ships entering and leaving China's ports of 400 gross tons and above or the main propulsion power plant of 750 kilowatts and above to collect data such as ship fuel consumption, sailing time, sailing mileage, and cargo turnover according to prescribed methods and procedures. It lays the foundation for the construction of the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system of ship carbon emissions.

Secondly, China actively provides suggestions for the establishment of international shipping emission reduction framework. As A major trading and shipping country, China has been elected one of the 10 Category A members of the IMO for 16 consecutive times, and has played an important role in major issues such as greenhouse gas emission reduction in international shipping and ship energy efficiency. In 2018, the 72nd session of the IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee adopted a preliminary strategy on greenhouse gas emission reduction for ships based on China's proposal, which promoted the emission reduction process of the shipping industry into a fast track. China has drafted the "Encouraging Member States to Formulate and Update National Action Plans to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Shipping", encouraging member states to take voluntary measures to promote greenhouse gas emission reduction from shipping at the national level. The resolution was unanimously endorsed by the majority of countries and adopted in the form of a resolution at the 75th Session of the IMO Environmental Protection Conference. It is the first time for developing countries to put forward a set of system design plans for greenhouse gas emission reduction in maritime transport. After difficult negotiations and intensive consultations with all parties, China has won the support of the vast majority of developing countries and industry organizations, and successfully defeated the radical plan of rigid ship operation energy efficiency limits proposed by the European Union. The proposal was unanimously supported by the IMO Environmental Committee and has been included in the IMO draft amendment to the MARPOL Convention.