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As environmental standards for shipping evolve, the Hong Kong government’s role should also
- For Hong Kong’s shipping industry to keep pace with evolving international emissions standards will require more coordination, both among its bureaus and with the mainland
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The maritime industry is a global business, with Hong Kong being not only a major port but also a shipping hub with a large presence of businesses serving this sector. Apart from shipowners and ship liners, there are also ship managers, terminal and barge operators, cruise ship companies, ferry service operators, charterers, ship brokers, seafarers, marine fuel suppliers and other service providers such as financiers and lawyers.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulates international shipping. Major issues for the industry include reducing pollutant emissions and decarbonisation. For example, the IMO requires shipping fuels to meet a global sulphur cap of 0.5 per cent by 2020; encourages ships to reduce nitrogen oxide; and for global shipping to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2050.
These mandates affect Hong Kong and the mainland.
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Firstly, Hong Kong became the Asian leader in 2013 by adopting a new policy to require ocean-going vessels, such as container and cruise ships, to switch to a cleaner fuel while at berth. The law to require 0.5 per cent sulphur fuel came into effect in 2015.
Secondly, Hong Kong and mainland China cooperated to define new fuel switching regulations, and the mainland created three domestic emissions control zones for ships that became effective from 2019. Ships entering the waters of the zones in the Pearl River Delta, Yangtze Delta and Tianjin area have to switch to the 0.5 maximum sulphur fuel ahead of the IMO mandate.
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