Sustainable Ship Recycling & Environmental Footprint

aWith the majority of cargo and services transported by sea trade and demand continuously increasing, there is an urgent need to optimize our sustainability and the environmental footprint of our vessels. Shipping isn’t the biggest polluter, but a responsible industry doesn’t have to “thrive” on it before acting.

Ship recycling, the last part of a ship’s life cycle, is achieved either as a result of a ship reaching the end of its commercial life, or due to structural or operational problems and demand from steel mills. A regulatory framework for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships was already developed several years ago and is being improved nationally, regionally and internationally. While the European Commission (EC) is leading this task, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is struggling to enforce relevant requirements to consolidate the field.

Of particular importance is the development and implementation of ship recycling strategies by ship owners, and ship recycling facilities need to adapt their shipping management practices and knowledge to align their functions with the maritime industry. I have. A key factor in this respect is compliance with environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies and requirements originally set by other industries, as well as compliance with EU taxonomy guidelines. Both on land and at sea, ESG directions need to be built into corporate systems to create robust and transparent methodologies for navigating the harsh environments of the future.

The EU Taxonomy is a classification system that establishes a list of environmentally sustainable economic activities to:

• By ensuring that (i) net emissions of greenhouse gases are eliminated by 2050 and (ii) economic growth is decoupled from resource use, the EU will scale up sustainable investment and implement the European Green Deal. and help transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy (iii) no one and no place left behind.
• Provide companies, investors and policy makers with a sound definition of what economic activity is considered environmentally sustainable.
• Ensure investor safety from greenwashing.
• We help businesses become more climate friendly, reduce market fragmentation and shift investments where they are most needed.

The Taxonomy Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 22 June 2020 and will enter into force on 12 July 2020, creating a useful tool for addressing sustainability that ship recycling facilities can also follow. Did. It establishes the basis for the EU taxonomy by setting out four overarching conditions that must be met for an economic activity to be considered environmentally sustainable.

(1) Must contribute materially to one or more environmental goals;

(2) not cause significant harm (DNSH) to any of the other environmental objectives;

(3) performed in compliance with minimum social and governance safeguards;When

(4) Comply with the technical review standards set by the Climate Mandate Act in relation to climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation.

Taxonomy regulations establish environmental goals for climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources, transition to a circular economy, and pollution prevention and control. Protecting and restoring biodiversity and ecosystems is a challenge that must be addressed by ship recycling facilities in partnership with shipowners preparing their ships for recycling.

Since the post-Covid-19 era has accelerated the technological schemes used by the shipping industry, all of the above have become significantly easier to adopt. Digitizing ships before they reach the end of their life can improve this area. Shipowners should therefore:

• Integrating into your in-house management system allows you to demonstrate your commitment to safe and environmentally responsible practices at the end of the ship’s life.
• Supporting better hazard management and greener ship recycling,
• maintain the safety of the ship and the health of the crew,
• Contributing to a safe workplace for employees,
• Minimize operational impact, risk and potential liability,
• develop a reputation both within the industry and with the general public,
• Avoid possible detentions, delays and penalties at portside controls.
• Increase the resale value of your ship.

The carbon footprint from steel production is about 8% of the world’s carbon footprint. Recycled steel helps prevent waste from being produced in the first place. We need to reduce fossil fuels from steel production and make use of lower energy sources (hydrogen, electricity, coal gasification, etc.).

In order to develop and implement the above, shipowners and ship recycling facilities should:

• improve cultural adaptability
• Stay compliant
• Follow the highest standards and ratings
• Provide a safe environment for workers
• save the environment,
• Maintain and implement an appropriate IHM containing information on Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and Mercury.
• Only work with licensed waste disposal facilities that meet the highest requirements.

The views above are solely those of the authors, do not necessarily reflect the views of SAFETY4SEA, and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.