Shipping - Pakistan joins ship recycling agreement
Pakistan has joined the Hong Kong Convention, which will soon regulate globally standardized rules for environmental protection and occupational safety when recycling ships. This was announced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London on Friday. Alongside Bangladesh and India, Pakistan is by far one of the three largest ship dismantling nations. Bangladesh and India have already joined the Hong Kong Convention.
In the EU, the scrapping of old ships is strictly regulated. These may only be recycled in certified facilities, which may also be located outside the EU. Globally applicable rules have been in place since 2009 - but so far only on paper, as the Hong Kong Convention will not come into force until June 26, 2025. This became possible because a sufficient number of countries only ratified the convention when Bangladesh and Liberia joined in the summer.
In Europe, Turkey is the focus of ship recycling. "In the other European countries, only small and medium-sized ships have been recycled so far," according to a study carried out for the German Maritime Center (DMZ). In Germany, there are no shipbreaking yards for decommissioned ships.
The international non-governmental organization Shipbreaking Platform has been denouncing for years that the scrapping of old and polluted ships repeatedly leads to environmental damage, human rights violations, child labour, illness and death. According to the IMO and shipowners' associations, this should improve significantly when the Hong Kong Convention comes into force.
With the climate-friendly conversion of shipping fleets, ship graveyards are likely to see unprecedented growth in the coming years. The Denmark-based international shipping association Bimco estimated this year that more than 15,000 ships with a carrying capacity of over 600 million tons are expected to be recycled in the next ten years, more than double the amount recycled in the previous ten years.
EU regulation on shipments of waste EU regulation on the recycling of ships IMO on Hong Kong Convention IMO communication of 1.12.
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- Pakistan's joining the Hong Kong Convention will significantly impact the world shipping organization's regulations on environmental protection and occupational safety in ship recycling, especially in countries like Bangladesh and India, which are among the top three ship dismantling nations.
- The Hong Kong Convention, which aims to standardize rules for ship recycling, has the potential to minimize environmental damage, human rights violations, child labor, illness, and death associated with the scrapping of old and polluted ships, as per the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and shipowners' associations.
- The European Union (EU) has stringent regulations for shipping waste, and only old ships can be recycled in certified facilities, which can also be located outside the EU.
- The International Shipbuilding Industry Association (ISIA) has advocated for improved occupational safety and environmental standards in shipbuilding and recycling, focusing on countries like India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, which are key players in the global shipbuilding industry.
- With the climate-friendly conversion of shipping fleets and the increased need for ship recycling, Hamburg, Germany, is positioning itself as a major player in the global shipping industry due to its strategic location and strong focus on environmental sustainability.
- The World Shipping Council (WSC), based in London, has called for cooperation between the EU, the US, and Asia-Pacific countries to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the Hong Kong Convention, aiming to ensure a level playing field for environmentally responsible ship recycling.
- Pakistan's commitment to the Hong Kong Convention could pave the way for improved environmental standards and occupational safety in ship recycling, potentially positioning Pakistan as a global leader in sustainable shipping practices in conjunction with the EU, Bangladesh, and India.
Source: www.stern.de
