Taking the green road.

(From Lloyds List)

GREEN credentials are increasingly essential in modern business, with every respectable company having to 'show willing' and at least demonstrate that its directors are thinking seriously about lessening their impact on the environment.

The shipping industry, it is probably fair to say, has tended to trade on its reputation for being, in relative terms, an environmentally sound mode for moving vast quantities of goods around. But it is equally true that from this lofty stance it has done less than it ought to reduce its emissions from its main engines and auxiliaries.

It is not that there has been little prog-ress in machinery development. It is rather that priorities for engine manufacturers have been in areas remote from environmental improvement.

Fuel economy rather than emission cleanliness has been the chief focus, with engines that have been more compact, infinitely more economical, a great deal more powerful, but capable of burning fuel that was barely distinguishable from refinery wastes.

It is only relatively lately that anyone has been exercised about what was going up the funnel and into the atmosphere. Only the determination of coastal states to clamp down on emissions has seen the Marine Pollution Convention entering this realm.

Similarly, it took an IMO convention to kickstart proper research on ballast treatment. So it is good to see heavy hitters getting together to produce real 'blue skies thinking' on environmentally sensitive marine technology.