Written statement by WSC President& CEO John Butler provided on December 7th, 2021.

Every day, tens of thousands of containers arrive at seaports from countries all around the world. Liner shipping – container and roll-on-roll-off (roro) vessels – is the backbone of global supply chains.

The COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world in 2020 triggered a “perfect storm” for global container shipping, putting a strain on supply chains and disrupting global trade.

The container supply chain is made up of multiple businesses and individuals, each of which are taking steps to remove bottlenecks and increase container velocity. These are operational measures that require constant dialogue between service providers and shippers to support each other and collaborate for better outcomes. Ocean carriers recognise the part they must play in that and are actively engaging to meet shipper demand and ease the flow of goods.

The World Shipping Council is committed to working with the EU Institutions to achieve the Green Deal’s goals through good policy that will support industry greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and move as fast as possible to zero GHG emissions. EU Policy, including the revision to the EU ETS Directive has a unique opportunity to strengthen, motivate and complement global policy for reducing GHGs in international shipping.

WSC supports inclusion of maritime sector in the EU ETS, and targeted amendments to the EC proposal can optimize its impact both within the EU and on the global stage.

The World Shipping Council is committed to working with the EU Institutions to achieve the Green Deal’s goals through good policy that will support industry GHG reduction targets and move as fast as possible to zero GHG emissions. EU Policy, including the Fuel EU Maritime Regulation has a unique opportunity to strengthen, motivate and complement global policy for reducing GHGs in international shipping.