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WSC: European Parliament proposed amendments to EU ETS put Green Deal goals at risk

Proposed changed definition of “responsible entity” would corrupt ETS, and bilateral agreements proposed would undermine progress towards global GHG policy.
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The World Shipping Council on Monday (24 January) published a statement on its view regarding recent proposed amendments to the EU Emissions Trading System:

The European Parliament’s lead MEP on the EU ETS proposes amendments to the ETS for maritime that put the impact and efficiency of the EU Green Deal at risk, says World Shipping Council (WSC).

The EU ETS intends to impose a technologically neutral greenhouse gas (GHG) price across all elements of industries like shipping, to incentivize the most cost-effective GHG emissions reductions and innovative solutions. Carbon pricing is a key part of driving adoption of zero-GHG fuels, and the EU ETS can be an important step toward global market-based-measures that would apply to all ships, not only to a fraction of international fleets.

WSC has two primary concerns:

  1. The proposed changed definition of “responsible entity” would corrupt the ETS: The proposed amendments[1] are intended to shield shipowners from ETS costs and then provide them with front-of-line access to ETS revenues such as the Ocean Fund. This would corrupt the whole idea of the ETS, changing it from a “polluter-pays” policy to a system where the “polluter-gets-paid”, and vastly reduce its effectiveness.  A market incentive for technological change that cannot be applied to shipowners who control the pace of shipboard technology innovation will fail to achieve EU Green Deal goals, slowing down the pace of transition.
  2. The bilateral agreements proposed would undermine progress towards global GHG policy: Other amendments[2] direct the European Commission to abandon its principle of multilateralism and engage in bilateral deals with nations to extend carbon pricing only for routes serving Europe. This would be a costly distraction, undermining progress towards global GHG policy at the IMO and slowing progress toward decarbonising shipping. It would also undermine the GHG and economic goals of the EU Green Deal, amplifying the risks identified in EU impact assessments – GHG leakage, loss of EU port competitiveness, and distortion of trade.

Shipowners and operators share responsibility for decarbonisation

“Ship greenhouse gas emissions result from the combination of design technology, fuel consumed, and operational practices. It’s obvious, frankly, that one cannot decarbonise shipping without addressing the ship itself. A regional EU ETS carbon price must apply to all parties who have a role in GHG reductions– shipowners and operators,” says John Butler, President & CEO of WSC.

Bilateral agreements put global progress at risk

Amendments directing the Commission to pursue bilateral agreements to extend GHG pricing further beyond the European Economic Area (EEA) can only slow progress toward global market-based-measures. Any resulting agreements would also be ineffective as the bilateral extension of regional EU ETS could at best extend it to address about 20% of global emissions.[3] Gaining nothing globally, these amendments would also amplify regional EU risks of GHG leakage, voyage evasion and diversion of seaborne trade, and competitive losses across EU ports and supply chains.[4]

“WSC members are owners, operators, and charterers of ships and are committed to decarbonising shipping. We understand the shared responsibility for GHG reductions in the maritime sector, and we don’t underestimate the challenge. Decarbonising shipping is an “all hands” and global effort, and regional policy must lead rather than impede,” concludes John Butler.

References

[1]  See Peter Liese report, Amendments 9, 10, 18, 29, 44, 45 in particular. The rapporteur proposes the inclusion of ‘time charterers’ within the definition of the responsible entity under the regulation and to require a legally binding clause in charter contracts that mandates the pass through of EU ET costs from the owner to the charterer.

[2]  See Peter Liese report, Amendments 7, 8, 46, 47 in particular. This directs the European Commission to engage in bilateral agreements with nations to extend carbon pricing to remainder of voyages starting between EU and non-EU ports which are not covered under the Commission’s proposal.

[3] “In 2018, ships calling at EU and European Economic Area ports emitted around 140 million tonnes of CO2. This represents 18 % of the global CO2 emissions from international shipping (STEAM).” European Maritime Transport Environmental Report, EEA and EMSA, 2021.

[4] CE Delft & DLR, Research for TRAN Committee – Maritime shipping, aviation and the EU ETS: challenges and impacts, Final report, European Parliament, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies, Brussels, 2021.

 

Photo credit: Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash
Source: World Shipping Council
Published: 25 January, 2022

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Environment

Indonesia to expedite removal of sunken Malaysia-flagged tanker “Silver Sincere”

Vessel sank while carrying about 1,000 mt of waste oil on 12 January 2025; the wreck was discovered in March 2025 and was found to have drifted about 13 nautical miles from its original sinking site.

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Indonesia to expedite removal of sunken Malaysia-flagged tanker “Silver Sincere”

Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs on Tuesday (14 July) held a cross-agency coordination meeting to expedite efforts in handling the Malaysian-flagged tanker Silver Sincere that sank off Bintan Regency, Riau Islands.

The vessel sank while carrying about 1,000 metric tonnes (mt) of waste oil on 12 January 2025. 

According to authorities, the ship sank within Indonesian waters. After several surveys, the wreck was finally discovered in March 2025 and it was found to have shifted approximately 13 nautical miles from the initial sinking location.

The meeting was aimed to align cross-ministerial and institutional measures to expedite the handling of the Silver Sincere wreck while minimising risks to shipping safety, the marine environment, and national interests.

Deputy for Coordination of State Defense and National Unity Purwito Hadi Wardhono emphasised that the handling of the impact of the Silver Sincere sinking was the first case to be comprehensively coordinated, serving as a model for handling foreign vessels sinking within Indonesian jurisdiction.

Through this cross-sectoral coordination, the government will establish a clear and measurable framework that can serve as a reference for resolving similar cases in the future, while minimising state losses due to environmental pollution, damage to underwater ecosystems and infrastructure, and disruption to shipping lanes.

“The most important thing is to immediately stop and prevent the negative impacts of this ship sinking,” Purwito said.

“Therefore, a coordinating role is crucial, as maritime security governance involves various ministries and institutions with varying authorities, allowing for faster, more integrated, and more effective response,” he said. 

He added that the Silver Sincere was a Malaysian-flagged vessel that sank within Indonesian jurisdiction, and therefore, all handling processes must comply with the provisions of Indonesian laws and regulations.

In the meeting, Prof. Eko Ganis Sukoharsono, representing the SAE Energy Consulting Team, presented the results of an analysis based on 14 observation periods using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery. 

The analysis results showed strong indications of a waste oil spill that has resulted in marine pollution, damage to the seabed due to shifting shipwrecks, disruption of coastal ecosystems and fishing grounds, and potentially threatening the livelihoods of fishing communities around the Riau Islands. 

Purwito added these findings further emphasise the importance of accelerating the removal of the shipwrecks to prevent widespread environmental impacts, maintain shipping safety, and avoid the potential for greater state losses.

The meeting brought together representatives of related ministries and institutions including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, Attorney General’s Office.  

Related: MPA: Malaysia-registered tanker “Silver Sincere” sinks off Pedra Branca

 

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Julian T
Published: 20 July, 2026

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Methanol

China launches methanol shipping supply chain alliance to accelerate green transition

Marine fuel suppliers in the alliance include Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales, China Marine Bunker (PetroChina), SIPG Energy (Shanghai), and Shenzhen Port Energy Development.
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July 17, 2026

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China Waterborne Transport Research Institute under the Ministry of Transport and China Transport News recently jointly launched a Methanol Fuel Shipping Supply Chain Innovation Alliance with 20 organisations spanning the shipping, port, energy, equipment, research and industry association sectors.

The alliance was officially announced during the main event of China Maritime Day 2026 on 11 July, where members also released a joint initiative to develop a collaborative methanol-fuelled shipping supply chain.

The alliance aims to implement China’s national strategy for green economic transformation and support the Ministry of Transport’s “One Network, Four Modernisations” initiative by building a safe, efficient, economical and reliable methanol marine fuel supply chain

Under the joint initiative, alliance members pledged to align with China’s national decarbonisation strategy by promoting methanol as a key pathway for the shipping sector’s green transition and optimising the industry’s energy mix.

The members also pledged to strengthen collaboration across the supply chain to improve coordination between bunker fuel production, transportation and end users while advancing technological innovation.

Lastly, the alliance will support the development of policies, planning and technical standards, promote resource sharing and joint research, and accelerate the large-scale adoption of methanol as a marine fuel.

The alliance brings together companies and organisations representing the entire methanol shipping supply chain.

Members include shipping and port members such as China Changjiang National Shipping (Group) Corporation, COSCO Shipping Bulk Co., Ltd., Shandong Port Group, and Wuhan Chuangxin Jianghai Shipping Co., Ltd.

Energy companies in the alliance include Sinopec Chemical Commercial Holding Company Limited and Methanex Corporation.

Marine fuel suppliers including Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales, China Marine Bunker (PetroChina), SIPG Energy (Shanghai) Co Ltd and Shenzhen Port Energy Development Co Ltd are also part of the alliance. 

Equipment manufacturers in the alliance are CSSC 711th Research Institute, CSSC Power (Group) Corporation Ltd and Chongqing Hongjiang Machinery Co Ltd.

Research, media and industry organisations participating in the alliance include the China Waterborne Transport Research Institute, China Transport News, and the Methanol Institute.

The Methanol Institute said methanol is moving beyond individual projects towards coordinated action across the entire value chain. 

“And China continues to play a leading role in advancing methanol as a marine fuel,” it said in a social media post.  

“We’re proud to work alongside our fellow alliance members to help strengthen the methanol supply chain and support the continued growth of methanol as a marine fuel.”

 

Photo credit: David Yu from Pixabay
Published: 17 July, 2026

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Wind-assisted

DNV awards TADC to Econowind for VentoFoil 3-Series

System actively harnesses wind power to generate forward thrust, helping to reduce bunker fuel consumption and mitigate FuelEU penalties.
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July 17, 2026

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DNV awards TADC to Econowind for VentoFoil 3-Series

Dutch wind-assisted propulsion technology firm Econowind on Wednesday (15 July) said it has received a Type Approval Design Certificate (TADC) from classification society DNV for its VentoFoil 3-Series boundary layer suction wing. 

The company said the certification confirms compliance with DNV’s ST-0511 standard for Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems and enables easier integration of VentoFoils on DNV-classed vessels worldwide. 

Econowind added that the approval accelerates the deployment of wind propulsion across the shipping industry.

“DNV is one of the world’s leading classification societies. This TADC gives DNV-classed shipowners confidence that VentoFoils meet the highest industry standards,” said Chiel de Leeuw, Chief Commercial Officer at Econowind. 

“It simplifies the approval process for both retrofits and newbuilds. VentoFoils are ideal for late-stage design integration and retrofit projects. This is an important milestone for Econowind and for the wider adoption of wind-assisted ship propulsion.”

The 3-Series VentoFoil is Econowind’s best-selling suction wing to date, with over 150 units sold. The system actively harnesses wind power to generate forward thrust, helping to reduce fuel consumption and mitigate FuelEU penalties. The system includes a tilting foundation, allowing the wings to be tilted down during port operations or in adverse weather conditions, making it a flexible solution.

The TADC applies to the 16-meter VentoFoil 3-Series product design and supports easy integration into DNV-classed vessels without repeating the full design assessment process. This enables shipowners, shipyards, and project teams to move more efficiently from concept to installation, reducing project complexity and accelerating deployment. 

Hasso Hoffmeister, Senior Principal Engineer at DNV Maritime, said: “It is a great pleasure to award Econowind this new certificate. WAPS have been going from strength to strength over the past few years, from 2022 the number of vessels in operation has increased five times, and we’ve now topped the century mark. 

“And with the current advances in technology, materials, and production capacity in the segment, we expect this to accelerate. So, while the wind always changes, the shipping industry is likely to be sailing strong for years to come.”

Econowind expects the DNV Type Approval Design Certificate to accelerate adoption of the VentoFoil, particularly among shipowners seeking proven, independently certified technology that can support fuel savings, emissions reductions, and decarbonization goals.

MS Heinz of HS Schiffahrt is among the first vessels to sail under this TADC.The company said the approval builds on Econowind’s growing installed base and further strengthens confidence in wind-assisted ship propulsion as a practical solution to address energy scarcity and high fuel prices. 

In addition to the 3-Series, Econowind offers the 5-Series for the deep-sea market.

 

Photo credit: Econowind
Published: 17 July, 2026

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