Response to Sunday Times "Ships’ fumes kill thousands every year" 

It is disappointing that in his article Ships’ fumes kill thousands every year (12 April 2009) Jonathan Leake fails to mention the considerable work that has being done to reduce emissions from ships both by the United Nations regulatory body the IMO and by the European Union.

This work includes Annex VI to the International Maritime Organization’s International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the EU Directive on the Sulphur Content of Liquid Fuels (2005/33/EC) and the recently agreed revision to MARPOL Annex VI which has been the vehicle for the recent US & Canada proposal to establish an Emissions Control Area (ECA) in waters close to their shores. 

Indeed, far from countries adopting legislation in the absence of international regulation they are, in fact, using the appropriate global regulatory framework to apply regional solutions to regional problems. Mr Leake also fails to mention the fact that shipping is the most energy-efficient and therefore carbon efficient means of transporting goods, producing – per tonne mile – a fraction of the greenhouse gases of other modes.

ENDS