ABSTRACT
It is claimed that maritime transport is environmentally friendly due to the fact that the CO2 emission to transport one tonne of cargo for one kilometre is 15 grams for a 8,000 dwt vessel; 50 grams for a heavy truck, and 540 grams for a Boeing 747 freighter.1 However there is no guarantee that this “green” image will always be associated with shipping since great efforts have been made in recent years to reduce the emission levels of other modes of transport, with higher standards continuously being introduced, while no corresponding improvements have been evident in the maritime transport sector. It is estimated that should the current development trends continue shipping will become a major source of air pollution. For example, it has been reported that before 2020, international shipping would overtake all land-based transport to be the biggest emitter of both NOx and SOx in Europe (Friedrich, Heinen and Kamakaté, 2007). It is clear that specifi c and bold actions have to be taken urgently if the shipping sector is to massively reduce air pollution levels. Given the growth perspective of seaborne trade, the environmental challenges faced by the international shipping community are enormous.
