World leaders, civil society and media will gather in Glasgow, Scotland from 31 October to 12 November for the United Nations climate change conference (COP26), originally scheduled for 2020 but delayed because of the pandemic.
The UK government hopes the conference will see countries put forward more ambitious emission reduction targets for 2030, and commit to an overall goal of reaching net zero by 2050. This would keep alive the possibility of countries holding global average temperature rise to no more than 1.5–2C above pre-industrial levels, as they committed to in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The UK is asking countries to prioritize phasing out coal, hastening the arrival of electric vehicles, mobilizing international climate finance and ending deforestation.
The last conference, COP25, held in Madrid in 2019, was promoted as the “Blue COP” because it aimed to set a precedent by bridging ocean issues and UN climate change negotiations.
With days to go before COP26 opens, it isn’t fully clear how much weight ocean issues will carry within the current agenda, but marine experts have high hopes they will be prominent.
How will the ocean feature at COP26?
Marine issues will likely figure in the COP’s formal discussions as well as in side events, which could lead to a political declaration on the ocean–climate issue at the end of the summit. Countries will also introduce updated climate pledges at COP, known as NDCs (nationally determined contributions), which are expected to include specific ocean targets.
Lisa Schindler Murray, senior manager of policy and partnerships at Rare, a US-based conservation organisation, said momentum around ocean–climate action will continue to grow at COP26, with countries integrating ocean and coastal ecosystems into their mitigation and adaptation targets. She also expects a greater recognition of the role of local communities in ocean–climate action.
Because the Ocean, an initiative comprising 39 developed and developing countries that aims to bring the ocean into climate change policy, will launch a new declaration on the first day of the conference to highlight the ocean–climate nexus. As well as demanding revised NDCs with ocean targets, they are calling for a holistic approach that addresses the climate and biodiversity crises as one through COP26 and COP15 – the biodiversity conference that began in Kunming this month and will conclude in a second session next spring.
Florida’s governor is asking ocean carriers to consider sending their backlogged West Coast boxships to his state’s eastern seaboard, where there is plenty of capacity to berth big ships and offload cargo.
“We have to make sure people can go Christmas shopping as normal. We have to make sure that all the necessities are there,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “And if it’s because ships are sitting off the coast somewhere else, and they can be rerouted here, and we can get all those shelves stocked, then we want to be a part of that solution.”
The governor made this appeal during a visit to Jaxport, the port of Jacksonville, which is the state’s busiest container port. Jaxport has not had any container ship backlog since the beginning of the pandemic, according to port officials. DeSantis also noted spare capacity at the state’s smaller box ports, including Port Tampa Bay, Port Everglades and Port Panama City.
The governor’s office hopes to attract West Coast traffic via the Panama Canal, but existing East Coast service strings may be easier targets. Jaxport is already winning business from the Port of Savannah, the busiest container port in the U.S. Southeast (and the fourth-busiest in the nation). Savannah is experiencing serious difficulties with congestion – so serious that two lines have dropped calls at the port and diverted vessels to other locations, including Jaxport and the Port of Charleston.
Like other major seaports, Savannah says that it is encountering a fundamental change in demand and inbound freight volume.
“We have seen this transition from just-in-time in supply chains to just-in-case, and that is significantly changing our environment,” Georgia Ports Authority executive director Griff Lynch told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month. “Because of all this extra freight being imported, it’s creating a backlog from the ship side to the dock side to warehouses and across the whole supply chain.”
On Sunday morning, two bulkers collided near the northern entrance to the Cannakale Strait, resulting in serious damage to both vessels.
That morning, the 200,000 dwt bulker Benitamou and the 30,000 dwt freighter BC Vanessa were both headed for an anchorage area off Gallipoli. Heavy fog meant restricted visibility.
At about 0600, the Vanessa’s bow struck Benitamou amidships on the port side, leaving a gaping hole in the larger vessel’s hull. The force of the impact badly damaged the Vanessa’ s bow.
Turkey’s General Directorate of Coastal Safety dispatched three tugs and two response boats to the scene. The Benitamou sustained flooding, but no pollution or injuries were reported and both ships remained in a stable condition. Turkish authorities told local media that both vessels would undergo a thorough dive inspection and temporary repairs before recieving permission to voyage onwards.
The container ship Zim Kingston lost 40 containers over the side in a storm off the Strait of Juan De Fuca on Friday, then caught fire. The Canadian Coast Guard has evacuated 16 people from the vessel, and five other crewmembers remain on board to fight the fire, the agency said.
The incident began in the early hours of Friday morning. Zim Kingston encountered heavy swells about 35 nm west of the strait’s entrance, and she began rolling up to 35 degrees. 40 boxes went over the side due to the severe motion. The captain notified the U.S. Coast Guard of the cargo loss, and an Air Station Port Angeles aircrew was able to locate 35 of the containers. The aircrew deployed a datum marker buoy to monitor the movement of the debris field.
The Kingston proceeded into the Strait to an anchorage five nm off Victoria, B.C., so that the damage could be inspected. At about 1100 hours Sauturday, the crew reported that two containers on her foredeck were on fire. Video imagery captured by Reuters on Saturday showed a stack of boxes burning vigorously, with flaming material tumbling over the starboard side.
Above image is used for illustration purposes only
The State of California adopted new legislation on ballast water management, with new discharge standards taking effect on 1 January 2022.
Namely, the Commission has adopted regulatory amendments that will implement the federal ballast water discharge standards for vessels arriving at California ports, among other provisions. These changes will become effective on January 1, 2022.
The details of these ballast water discharge standards are in the following table:
Education from a young age is the starting point for maritime industry to deal with gender stereotypes, which have traditionally left women off shipping careers, and to attract diverse talent that will bring high-intelligence and problem-solving skills in the sector, panelists during the SAFETY4SEA Crew Welfare Week agreed.
While the industry continues its efforts to change the perception and prejudice that suggests that shipping is too technical for women, we continue to observe a major gender gap onboard with the recruitment of women at sea remaining a grey area. This triggers the vital need for the industry to think what changes are required for the industry to become more inclusive and diverse, the SAFETY4SEA Panel heard.
Key numbers
Only 2% of women sail onboard ships. Of them, less than 1% of women work onboard cargo ships.
Onshore, women constitute 40% of shipping employees. Of them, only 1% are on top management positions.
A huge problem is marketing, because there is not enough publicity on the sector as a potential professional path, noted Capt. Alexandra Hagerty, US Naval Ships, pointing out the huge opportunities of getting children at a young age to know the benefits of the industry.
The Coronavirus outbreak has set the shipping industry into a frenzy, with major shipping stakeholders issuing guidance and recommendations, ports halting operations until further notice and a feeling of uncertainty on how this emergency will be dealt with.
Coronavirus definition:
The virus was firstly detected in the central city of Wuhan, China. It causes a type of pneumonia and includes signs of infection including respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
In the first place, the World Health Organization alerts that the principles to reduce the general risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections:
Two years ago, Intellian struck up a close working relationship with the international surgical care charity Mercy Ships. With its International Support Center (ISC) located in Garden Valley, Texas, Mercy Ships has branches in the UK, West Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Korea, France, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. Through its floating hospitals, the organization’s work encompasses a range of procedures, including orthopedic, maxillofacial, ocular and reconstructive surgeries; mental health services; healthcare training projects; and palliative care.
Since its inception in 1978, Mercy Ships has provided free medical aid plus physical and moral support for people in countries ranked in the lower third of the World Health Organization’s Human Development Index. The organization has shown unwavering determination in its quest to eradicate diseases of poverty.
For the most part, such diseases should be relatively straightforward to prevent or treat, but the World Health Organization has estimated that over 50 percent of the population in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia lack regular access to essential medicines and healthcare. With only around half of sub-Saharan African children vaccinated against childhood diseases, many die from preventable diseases such as diarrhea, measles, malaria and malnutrition-related causes. The work carried out by Mercy Ships could not be more vital.
The pandemic has been a devastating setback – a global catastrophe that has only served to make extreme situations even more disastrous. However, last year’s challenges have only strengthened Mercy Ships’ resolve, and Intellian Technologies is with them every step of the way.
Cosco Shipping Ports has sold a minority stake in Euromax Terminal to Navigator Investco, to the investment platform for the company and Silk Road Fund.
In 2019, Cosco Shipping Ports established a wholly-owned subsidiary Navigator Investco Limited in Hong Kong as an investment platform for the company and Silk Road Fund to invest in port assets and related upstream and downstream businesses.
Cosco Shipping Ports and Navigator Investco have entered into an agreement, and Cosco Shipping Ports will sell all the shares of Cosco Shipping Ports (Rotterdam) to Navigator Investco.
Cosco Shipping Ports (Rotterdam) is a 35% shareholder in the Euromax Terminal. After the transaction is completed, Navigator Investco will become an indirect shareholder of Euromax Terminal with 35% stake through Rotterdam company.
Cosco Shipping Ports is committed to the establishment of global terminal network. The cooperation with Silk Road Fund will maximize the advantages of the integration of the industry and finance, commented Cosco Shipping Ports.
The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, signed an executive order directing state agencies to find ways to address congestion at the state’s ports.
According to the executive order, state agencies should continue coordinating with the Biden-Harris Administration Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to mitigate state, national and global supply chain challenges.
It also requires the Department of Finance to work with state agencies to establish longer-term solutions in order to support port operations and goods movement.
Furthermore, it charges state agencies with identifying state-owned, along with private and federally owned, properties that could be available to address short-term storage needs.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
