Ship Energy Efficiency Measures and Climate Protection

Abstract

This paper addresses the importance of the implementation and enforcement of the energy efficiency measures for ships. These measures are frequently referred to and used as a tool for carbon mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships in order to protect the Earth’s climate. Moreover, these measures can also play an important role in climate adaptation. The purpose of this paper is to look briefly at the current and expected impact of the ships’ energy efficiency measures developed under auspices of the International Maritime Organization, i.e.: the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) on climate change mitigation. Both of them, EEDI and SEEMP became mandatory measures after the adoption of amendments to the Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and their entry into force in 2013. Furthermore, those measures were also the first legally binding tools relating to climate change, adopted since the Kyoto Protocol.