Green Marine 2022 Program: Charting the Course to Decarbonization

Québec, QC – Decarbonization is the biggest environmental issue facing maritime transport – a challenge that the Green Marine environmental certification program’s 2022 criteria reflect well.

Green Marine’s performance indicator for greenhouse gas emissions has been revised to include reduction targets at its higher levels that exceed the International Maritime Organization's decarbonization targets for 2050. To achieve Level 5, ship owners must now demonstrably reduce their carbon emissions by 2.4% on average yearly, which aligns with the trajectory leading to complete decarbonization by 2050.

“The new greenhouse gas indicator requirements were developed with the same collaborative approach that has become a part of Green Marine’s essence,” says David Bolduc, Green Marine’s Executive Director. “They also demonstrate that even 15 years after its creation, our environmental certification program continues to raise the bar to remain ambitious and effective in reducing the industry’s environmental footprint.”

Along with a decarbonization plan, the revision includes additional criteria relating to energy audits and real-time measurements, research and development, and the operation of low-carbon vessels.

For the program’s landside participants (ports, terminals and shipyards), the 2022 program includes a revision of the performance indicator for spill prevention and stormwater management. The changes relate to the use of environmentally friendly lubricants and proposed alternative initiatives for participants in the United States where it has become mandatory to have a stormwater management plan.

All of the program’s 2022 challenges and criteria are outlined on Green Marine’s website.