HELCOM, CBSS and stakeholders join forces to catalyse sustainable shipping in the Baltic Sea
Promoting sustainable shipping technology and new fuels in the Baltic Sea is the theme of a full day event co-organised by HELCOM today, Tuesday 5 September 2017, on the Island of Donsö in the Gothenburg archipelago.
The event is a part of the HELCOM commitment given in the UN Ocean Conference in July 2017 to follow up the recent regulatory developments in the Baltic Sea region, including restrictions to nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from ships’ exhaust gases through a NOx Emission Control Area (NECA).
The day will kick off with the first meeting of the HELCOM Maritime Sub-group on Green Technology and Alternative Fuels for Shipping (GREEN TEAM). The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) expert group on maritime policy will meet in parallel.
The afternoon will feature a dedicated session on a joint regional agenda for green shipping, technology, and alternative fuels. At the joint session, the nearly 70 registered participants from the networks of HELCOM, CBSS, and a number of other participating organisations, as well as other stakeholders, will consider past progress and identify priorities for future regional work.
Just as the HELCOM GREEN TEAM sub-group in general (c.f. Terms of Reference and Work Plan 2017), the event is intended as a wide cooperation platform which is open for public sector institutions and governments, maritime business, as well as civil society (NGOs) interested in working together to advance sustainable shipping technology and new fuels in the region.
The regional day is organised at the Donsö Shipping Meet, the largest shipping event in Sweden.
HELCOM is an intergovernmental organization made up of the nine Baltic Sea coastal countries and the European Union. Founded in 1974, its primary aims as the governing body of the Helsinki Convention are to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution.
This includes pollution from ships and safe maritime navigation, fields where the work involves regional dimensions of IMO regulations and initiatives. The full official name of HELCOM is the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission.
HELCOM Maritime Working Group of HELCOM identifies and promotes actions to limit sea-based pollution and finds ways for safer navigation. Established in 1975, the group also deals with the harmonized implementation and enforcement of international shipping regulations.
The Maritime group has a number of advisory expert bodies including the HELCOM-OSPAR Task Group on Ballast Water Management (regional dimensions of implementing the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention), Expert group on safety of navigation, Working group for mutual exchange and deliveries of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, Green technology and Alternative Fuels Platform for Shipping (GREEN TEAM), and HELCOM Cooperation Platform on Port Reception Facilities (PRF).
