The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other agencies have been called on to focus more on pushing maritime companies to accelerate the transition to sustainable fuel for maritime transportation.
This call came from Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development and Culture, Carlos James.
Minister James said that the IMO is tasked with the responsibility for safety, of shipping and the prevention of atmospheric pollution by ships, noting that they have that obligation to pressure the marine transport industry to adopt more sustainable practices.
According to the Sustainable Development Minister, larger ships and more modern fleets are being built to run on liquefied natural gas which burns more cleanly than traditional marine fuel but poses greater risks for methane emissions through methane slip.
While he applauded the advisory opinion of the law of the sea, which ruled on May 21st that that emissions from fossil fuels and other planet warming gases that are absorbed by the oceans count as marine pollution, there must be global pressure and sanctions to force vessels to transition.
