Pollution from ships must become a priority

The fleet of Faroese ships does not currently meet the IMO’s pollution requirements.

The environmental committee of the IMO, which is the maritime department of the United Nations, will meet in London next week. The committee will discuss how the international shipping fleet can be modernised to reduce the emission of harmful gases.

Japan recommends that CO2 emissions should be reduced by 40% by 2030, compared to emissions in 2008. Denmark, Belgium, Spain, New Zealand and the Marshall Islands propose that emissions should be reduced by 70% by 2030, and that no pollution should come from ships in 2050.

Impossible target

The Faroese fleet of ships will not manage to meet this requirement, says Suni Petersen, the head of the Faroese Environment Agency.

Such changes usually take a long time to implement, and Petersen does not expect that the Faroes cannot meet these requirements by 2030.

No mandatory requirements

The question is what consequences it would have if the Faroes cannot meet these requirements.

There are currently no mandatory requirements for CO2 emissions from ships, and that is not ideal, says Petersen.

He does add, however, that with the current technological advances it will be easier to meet the pollution requirements.

But unless this becomes a political priority, nothing will happen, he says