Jamaica among 10 Pilot Countries for Reducing Ship Emissions Project

Jamaica is among 10 countries that have been selected to participate in the Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project, which aims to support the implementation of energy-efficiency measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.

The others are Argentina, China, Georgia, India, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Philippines and South Africa.

They will serve as lead pilot countries for implementing legal, policy and institutional reforms; undertaking awareness-raising and capacity-building activities; and establishing public-private partnerships to support low-carbon shipping.

As part of GloMEEP, the countries are required to conduct workshops targeting the prevention and control of shipping and port air emissions.

Jamaica, through the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), is currently staging its own three-day session to assist maritime administrations, port authorities and their personnel to better understand sources of emissions in ports, and identify strategies and solutions.

The workshop, which got under way on Tuesday (May 1) at Kingston Wharves Limited (KWL), also involves the training of participants in the use of two new guides, which are being developed under the GloMEEP project.

These are the Guide for a Port Emissions Status Assessment and Guide for the Development of a Port Emissions Reduction Strategy.

Director General of the MAJ, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Peter Brady, in his address to the participants on the opening day, said that the workshop is important, given the increase in cruise shipping in the Caribbean.

He noted that reducing emissions from shipping is important in ensuring the sustainability of economies throughout the region and safeguarding the livelihood of persons who depend on the industry.

“Port-related emissions arise from several sources, including fuel-generated cargo-handling equipment, trucks, port-related vehicles and harbour craft. Emissions include greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides [and] also particulate matter,” he said.

Rear Admiral Brady explained that since Jamaica is the only lead in the region on the project, the country will be expected to transfer knowledge gained under the project to the rest of the wider Caribbean region.

GloMEEP is being undertaken through partnership involving the Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

It is being executed by the Project Coordination Unit established within the Maritime Environment Division of the IMO.

The IMO is a specialised agency responsible for safe, secure and efficient shipping and the prevention of pollution from ships.