Capacity Building for a Greener Future in Maritime Shipping

News Desk

Karachi: The road ahead to achieve greener shipping in line with IMO GHG Strategy-23 is challenging but can be overcome by strategic planning and systemic capacity building.

These views were expressed by DG NIMA Vice Admiral Abdul Aleem HI (M) during a seminar “IMO’s Obligations of Reducing Harmful Emissions at Sea – Pakistan’s Response and Challenges”, organized by NIMA.

On the occasion, Dr M Faheem from NUST introduced the latest technologies, including remote sensing systems, which can help in generating air pollutant patterns that can be essential tools to identify long-term effects on the environment.

He also presented low-cost air monitoring systems developed by NUST with an accuracy factor of 90 percent.

President NIMA highlighted that in the era of “climate emergencies,” the responsibility of every sector has increased manifold.

Camille Bourgeon, Tech Officer at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, emphasized the urgency of Pakistan’s early ratification of MARPOL Annex VI, considering the country’s prior ratification of the first five annexes.

Bourgeon assured full technical support from the IMO in this process. Alia Shahid, Director General of Ports & Shipping at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA), clarified that a comprehensive roadmap has been developed for the swift ratification of MARPOL Annex VI.

Commodore Irfan Taj from the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) presented a detailed plan outlining the replacement of the aging fleet over the next thirty years. He highlighted that the existing ships have already transitioned to low-carbon fuel.

Valuable insights were also provided by representatives from various maritime communities, including the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), and provincial Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs).

Towards the conclusion of the meeting, there was unanimous concern expressed regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 13 & 14. Participants stressed the importance of expediting Pakistan’s MARPOL VI ratification process to align with the 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets.