2023-06-14 02:29:42
By Editorial PortalPortuario
@PortalPortuario
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) welcomes the leadership shown by the leading ship recycling country, Bangladesh, in agreeing to ratify the Hong Kong International Convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships (Hong Kong Convention).
So far, 20 countries have ratified the Hong Kong International Convention, representing about 30% of the combined gross tonnage of all merchant ships. With the commitment of Bangladesh, this brings the requirements for the Convention to enter into force one step closer.
The Convention must be ratified by at least 15 countries, representing 40% of world commercial shipping by gross tonnage, with a maximum combined annual volume of ship recycling of no less than 3% of their total tonnage, for it to enter into force. .
John Stawpert, Senior Manager (Environment and Trade) of the International Chamber of Shipping, commented that “Bangladesh shows leadership by committing to ratify the Convention. Our industry is international and ship recycling can only be effectively governed through a global system. Regional systems that ignore the economic realities of the industry are easily circumvented and this positive development will ensure sufficient recycling capacity under the supervision of national authorities and the United Nations regulator, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)”.
As the industry continues to progress on its decarbonization trajectory, ship recycling will be of great importance to meet net zero emissions by 2050, as the existing fleet will retire in the coming years to be replaced by such ships. .
By ratifying the Convention, the supply of vessels for facilities that comply with the Hong Kong Convention will be guaranteed.
“In 2018, Bangladesh committed to ratifying the Hong Kong Convention by 2023 through its Ship Recycling Act, which retains the terms of the Hong Kong Convention in domestic law, and began the process of upgrading its ship recycling capacity. recycling with its adoption. As with all parts of the maritime industry, ship breaking and recycling was affected by the changes and challenges created by Covid-19 and this halted progress in upgrading facilities in Bangladesh for the schedule defined in the Law. However, the two-year entry into force period following the ratification of the Convention will allow those who suffered a shortfall in improvements because of this to catch up in terms of investment, infrastructure and training, and this may be assisted with funding from existing technical cooperation. mechanisms”, added Stawpert.
“Environmental, social and governance factors and the demands of charterers and customers have meant that compliance with the Hong Kong Convention has been the growing standard for ship recycling sales and the recycling process itself. Ratification by a major ship recycler like Bangladesh further confirms this trend, and the entry into force of the convention will create the global level playing field that has been evolving for a generation. Therefore, compliance with the requirements of the Convention will be essential for ship recyclers to secure their market share in the future”, he concluded.
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