THE International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is enhancing sustainability in shipping by creating a greenhouse gas (GHG) performance indicator for its Environmental Ship Index (ESI).
This initiative aligns with the ongoing review of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC82), which assesses the CII’s effectiveness in evaluating GHG performance in ships.
IAPH views the CII as a positive development but stresses the need to address stakeholders’ valid concerns. To this end, IAPH will fully implement the enhanced ESI by 2026, benefiting over 6,425 registered vessels, including container, cargo, cruise, and passenger ships, which can access more than 80 port incentives.
IAPH introduces a new GHG performance indicator for the Environmental Ship Index to enhance sustainability and support shipowners in reducing emissions.
PHOTO from IAPH
The new GHG performance indicator will adopt a Well-to-Wake (WtW) approach, focusing on the carbon intensity of bunkered fuels without considering the distance sailed, thereby addressing issues like lengthy berthing times that can affect the CII.
“In our submission to MEPC82, we state that although the ESI GHG module does not directly integrate the CII, it remains closely related,” said IAPH Technical Director Antonis Michail.
The updated ESI will assess GHG emissions, air pollutants, at-berth performance, and ambient noise levels and will reward maritime innovations such as carbon capture and wind assistance.
“The Well-to-Wake CO2e intensity values will be retrieved from either the Bunker Delivery Notes (BDNs) certificate of sustainability or IMO defaults,” Michail explained.
IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven highlighted the importance of these upgrades, stating, “As our highly successful ESI voluntary incentive scheme, designed by ports for shipowners, expands, IAPH is investing in this practical tool, which can be used here and now to help decarbonize shipping and reduce emissions of all kinds, both at sea and in and around ports.”
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