Mission and Philosophy

SEAaT is a cross-industry, unique, pro-active and self funding group, whose mission is to encourage and facilitate efficient reduction of harmful emissions to air from shipping

Shipping Emissions Abatement and Trading Our name reflects our interest and scope.

Cross Industry

The shipping community is broad, and SEAaT aims to encompass all those involved, including:

  • International & Regional Shipping Interests
  • Diverse Shipping types & sizes: tankers, ferries, fishing, bulk, container vessels
  • Oil companies & Bunker providers
  • Ports, Harbour Authorities, Port State Control
  • Banks & Market Regulators
  • Technology Providers: engine makers, abatement equipment, instrument & navigation technology

Unique

SEAaT aims to work, in its specific area, alongside the associations and groups who also represent the industry on other issues:

  • National, International & Specialist Shipowners Associations
  • Oil & Marine Fuels Industry Associations
  • Ports & Shipping Agents

Proactive

SEAaT aims to be constructive and environmentally positive, not reactive and obstructive. We take ownership of the solution

Self funding

SEAaT is funded by the industry, not by Governments, Member States or Intergovernmental Organisations. It seeks, by this, to demonstrate its sponsors’ active commitment to the environment

Group SEAaT is an informal group, it’s purpose at this stage is:

  • To trigger activity and share discovery
  • Form a holistic view with cross fertilisation of ideas to unlock innovation
  • Debate towards “single voice” for effective legislative campaigning
  • Evolve its constitution to suit participants needs
  • Share costs of activities, research, and authorship

Encourage and Facilitate

By supporting, managing and doing the following the group will help ensure the stakeholders concerns are taken seriously and acted upon.

  • Gathering, collating, sharing and publishing relevant information;
  • Facilitating industry debate and conferences;
  • Coordinating and commissioning research;
  • Supporting and Coordinating a “Single Voice” for campaigning activity;
  • Developing concepts and schemes for efficient legislative implementation

Efficient Reduction

This is one of the cornerstones for the groups existence. Through driving efficient reductions in emissions more can be achieved per $ spent. The group can provide clarity by the adoption and promotion of the following:

  • Taking a overall view of the industry’s environmental strategy concerning air emissions objectives and acceptable emissions limits
  • Choice of abatement methods
  • Lowest overall cost through
    • Emissions Trading
    • Cross fleet optimisation
    • and sharing the burden with land and other transport emissions
  • Compatible international, regional & local frameworks for regulation, so that, although parameters may vary between regions (depending upon environmental sensitivity), measurements are made in a consistent way
  • Avoiding unnecessary local variations in required technologies or record-keeping for ships trading world-wide
  • Targeting reductions where they achieve greatest environmental benefit

Emissions to Air from Shipping

The Emissions of most direct concern to SEAaT are:

  • CO2 and other greenhouse gases having a contribution to anthropogenic climate change
  • Sulphur Oxides (SOx), which have a direct health impact and from which arises the acid rain harms buildings and environment, particularly fresh water ecosystems
  • Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), which, in conjunction with other emissions, impact health, air quality and also contribute to acid rain
  • Particulate Matter, which had a direct health impact (which we are increasingly able to measure), as well as Loss of Amenity

To Air

We are concentrating on the ‘to air’ emissions. We do so within a broad context of sustainability and awareness of the impact of our actions. We hope that SEAaT will give the industry awareness of methods to address other pollution and environmental issues, but have, at least for the time being, excluded: emissions from cargo; other waste discharges

From Shipping

With IMO Marpol Annex VI entering into force, shipping faces specific challenges in the Baltic and North Sea, and this has been the initial focus of SEAaT. However SEAaT will maintain awareness and aim for “future proofing” so concepts can be extended to shipping in:

  • Other European Waters
  • Mediterranean
  • North America West Coast
  • Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs), and other harmed sea areas
  • World Oceans