Having concluded on short-term climate measures at IMO MEPC 78, member nations and organisations have turned their full attention to developing the mid-term measures necessary to progress the decarbonisation of shipping. In a recent paper to IMO ISWG-GHG 13 and MEPC 79, the World Shipping Council (WSC) examines the current proposals, highlighting three key suggestions to support swift progress and ensure that regulations are effective in driving the transition to alternative fuels and propulsion technologies in line with global climate goals.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) is excited to welcome Pacific International Lines (PIL) as a new member, to join in its work for a safe, secure and sustainable industry.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) is excited to welcome three new team members to further its work for the future growth of a safe, secure and sustainable shipping industry.

WSC and member liner carriers are highly concerned about Parliament’s delay in finalizing its position on FuelEU Maritime. Liner carriers are committed to decarbonizing the industry as soon as possible and are already investing in alternative fuel technology. Fuel EU Maritime is crucial for EU policymakers to reach their climate goals, and for the progress of shipping decarbonization.

Early June 2022, representatives of shipping companies and Customs authorities from across the globe came together to discuss ways to step up the fight against drug trafficking. The Conference was organized by the World Shipping Council (WSC) and the Container Control Programme (CCP), which is a joint initiative between the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Customs Organization.

The WSC acknowledges the important milestone that has been reached following the adoption of the European Parliament’s position on the EU ETS proposal. WSC calls on the EU institutions to work together in the trilogue process to ensure that EU ETS provides the correct market signals for decarbonising the shipping industry in support of the EU Green Deal GHG goals.

In 2021, international liner carriers’ onshore staff and crews managed 6300 ships, successfully delivering vital supplies worth $7 trillion to the people of the world, in approximately 241 million containers. The World Shipping Council (WSC) Containers Lost at Sea Report covering 2020-2021 shows that containers lost overboard represent less than one thousandth of 1% (0.001%). However, the past two years have seen a worrying break in the downward trend for losses, with the average number of containers lost at sea per year since the start of the survey increasing by 18% to 1,629.

WSC members in the liner industry are among the first movers leading the decarbonisation transition globally and within the European region. We need good policy in the Fit-for-55 package and especially an effective inclusion of shipping within the EU ETS framework that delivers the right GHG price signals to the parties that can change and shift the sector to the green vessel technology needed for deep decarbonisation.

Today the President signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act into law. The Federal Maritime Commission now has the important task of implementing the law so that it fulfils its core objective to support “an ocean transportation system that is competitive, efficient, and economical.”

Today’s vote on The Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) marks the conclusion of the legislative phase and transition to the Federal Maritime Commission rulemaking process. We appreciate the time and effort that Congress has put into crafting this bill and look forward to engaging in productive conversations with the Federal Maritime Commission to implement OSRA in a way that will minimize disruption in the supply chain.

As the IMO MEPC78 draws to a close, we have seen good progress on several important topics, including on the next phase of the IMO greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy. WSC urges member states to maintain the momentum and step up the crucial work on developing the pathways to decarbonising shipping.

The European Parliament’s ENVI Committee today adopted its report on the proposal on the revision of the EU ETS. The World Shipping Council (WSC) welcomes this crucial step towards the achievement of the goals of the EU Green Deal but stresses that improvements to the ETS proposal are still needed.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) continues its work for a safe, secure and sustainable industry, and is excited to welcome a new member in Swire Shipping.

Regulation to include shipping in the EU ETS is under development as part of the EU Green Deal, a great opportunity for the EU to contribute to the transition to zero carbon for international shipping. The European Commission proposal is now under review by the European Parliament, with the EP ENVI Committee holding the lead rapporteur role and EP TRAN Committee providing input guided by rapporteur Mr Novakov.

WSC welcomes the thorough work done by Mr Novakov in considering how the EU ETS can be most effective as well as practical to implement.

The American people are looking for solutions to supply chain congestion resulting from the impacts of COVID-19. Unfortunately, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, S.3580, which was marked up today by the Senate Commerce Committee, addresses none of the root causes of the U.S. landside congestion.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) together with prominent maritime nations and organisations representing all shipping sectors continue to work for the early adoption of an industry financed and IMO led research and development fund as a critical pathway to accelerate the development of technologies for zero carbon shipping.

Here are the facts: container shipping is a competitive industry with multiple ocean carriers actively challenging one another in the global marketplace and on the shipping lanes most relevant for U.S. trade,” said John Butler, President and CEO of the World Shipping Council. “It is disappointing that unfounded allegations are being levied against an industry that is moving more cargo right now than at any time in history in order to meet the unprecedented demand for imported goods during the pandemic.

“It is unfortunate that the President is demonizing ocean carriers, the industry that is the backbone of the U.S. and global economy and that has been working around the clock through the pandemic to move more cargo than at any time in history.

Allegations that the container shipping industry is highly concentrated and uncompetitive are factually incorrect. Ocean carriers actively compete against one another in the global marketplace, including on the shipping lanes most relevant for U.S. trade, while concentration levels in many other U.S. industries are markedly higher than those in container shipping. In a clear sign of a competitive market responding to increased demand, competition increased in 2021, with more ships operated by a larger pool of carriers serving the trans-Pacific trade.

Transitioning global shipping from a carbon dependent industry into one that operates without greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a massive task. Container and roro carriers are already investing in the development of zero GHG technologies and are committed to enabling the industry’s transition to zero, but clear global regulations are needed. The World Shipping Council (WSC) has identified six regulatory and economic pathways, all of which are critical for the nations of the UN International Maritime Organisation to address for a successful maritime energy transition.

“Ocean carriers have deployed every available ship and container to move the continuing record levels of cargo resulting from pandemic-driven U.S. demand for imports—but when ships cannot get into port to discharge and load cargo because of landside logistics breakdowns, it is clear that further regulating ocean carriers will not solve the deeper challenges in U.S. supply chains,” says John Butler, President & CEO of the WSC.