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8. September 2020Today, the EU Transport Ministers’ Conference is taking place in Hamburg. The Shipowners’ Association welcomes the venue and is pleased with the importance of shipping. German shipowners are strongly advocating for global CO2 targets. The official host is Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer.
(Hamburg) Today, on Tuesday, the EU Transport Ministers will discuss concrete measures for climate-friendly and innovative shipping as part of the German EU Council Presidency in Hamburg. Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer expects, as the host of this high-profile meeting, not only ministerial colleagues and top representatives from the industry but also EU Transport Commissioner Adina Vãlean.
Alfred Hartmann, President of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR), who will be among the participants alongside Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen, welcomed the initiative of the federal government: “Many events planned within the framework of the German Council Presidency have unfortunately been canceled due to the pandemic. That the Federal Minister of Transport is still inviting to Hamburg shows the high importance that shipping rightly enjoys.”
Maritime Transport is a Pillar of the European Economy
Maritime transport, according to Hartmann, is a pillar of the European economy: About ninety percent of EU external trade and forty percent of intra-European goods traffic are handled via sea routes. European shipping companies control 40 percent of the global trading fleet, contribute about 150 billion euros annually to the EU GDP, and provide 2.1 million Europeans with future-oriented jobs on land and at sea.
The VDR President emphasized how important a constructive dialogue between politics in Europe and industry is regarding climate protection: “For German shipping, it is no longer a question of whether it is part of decarbonization – but rather what the best way is to make maritime transport significantly more climate-friendly as quickly and comprehensively as possible,” said Hartmann: “The challenge for shipping and states is to reduce CO2 emissions without simultaneously restricting the necessary sea trade. We want to actively and constructively shape this process.”
Europe Should Become a Laboratory for Climate-Neutral Shipping
In this context, the VDR sees the implementation of the European Commission’s “Green Deal” in the coming years as a challenge for the industry – but also as an enormous opportunity: “Europe should become a laboratory for climate-neutral shipping with the help of the Green Deal. New, climate-neutral fuels for ships are crucial. The EU will be at the forefront of innovation if these fuels are developed here under high pressure, made ready for application, and marketable.”
Hartmann reiterated the importance of global CO2 targets in this context: “We should jointly advocate for global climate regulations: Climate protection must not be a pretext for merely inventing new taxes to balance budgets. Regional regulations ultimately do not help the climate sufficiently but harm the industry on the continent in tough global competition.”
The VDR President concluded: “Time is pressing. We need solutions soon to achieve the goals set by the IMO that we have jointly established. We must change course together now.”
Photo: Adobe Stock
