Regulation for the Decarbonisation of IWT in Europe

Abstract

To ensure its future, the response of IWT to climate change must be twofold: it must adapt to the changing climate and mitigate its carbon footprint. The former will make IWT resilient against adverse effects of climate change, the latter will bring IWT in line with the Paris Agreement and decarbonise IWT. PIANC, in its 2019 Declaration on Climate Change, stated that “… PIANC and its members will strive to develop approaches to decarbonise the operation of port and navigation infrastructure (i.e. move to net zero emissions), whilst at the same time enabling the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vessels by providing the necessary facilities, infrastructure and, where appropriate, incentives…” The European Union (EU) and the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) more explicitly aim at zero-emission vessels and eliminating GHG emissions from inland navigation vessels by 2050. For doing so, EU and CCNR will go beyond the measures foreseen in PIANC’s declaration and will employ regulations and standards as well, since regulations and standards are important policy instruments to facilitate the transition towards carbon neutral IWT. This paper will present respective regulations and standards which are already in place, currently under development or whose development is foreseen to effectively support the transition towards a zero-emission IWT fleet in Europe. Vessel technical requirements are at the core of the contribution, but requirements concerning vessel operation and crew training are also considered. The paper analysis the basic content of the regulations and standards and provides general recommendations for the way forward.