Proceedings of the workshop on Maritime Sector Contributions to a Blue Economy for the Seas of East Asia (EASC2015 Session 1 Workshop 2)

PUBLICATION DATE:

Saturday, November 21, 2015

PUBLICATION TYPE:

Meeting Documents

STATUS:

Only Available Online

DESCRIPTION:

The workshop emphasized the major contributions of the maritime transport sector to a blue economy for the East Asian Seas region and the corresponding risks and potential negative impacts to the marine environment resulting from increased demand for maritime services. As emphasized in the introduction by the Workshop Chair, Mr. Brian Sullivan, IPIECA, 80% of world trade is conveyed through the ocean and 32% of the world’s hydrocarbons are derived from the ocean floor. While there is great potential for growth in the maritime economy, it also brings corresponding risks such as the impacts of sea incidents to oceans and seas. Oil spills, air emissions from ships, transport of hazardous and noxious substances and climate change were among the emerging environmental concerns in the maritime sector, which were discussed during the workshop.

The workshop also featured programmes and initiatives of international and regional organizations and projects, selected national maritime administrations, port industry association and oil and gas industry organizations, which demonstrated commitments to promoting environmental sustainability in the maritime sector including: preventing and reducing the impact of oil spills from tanker accidents; climate change mitigation measures; initiatives in promoting safety and health of workers and reducing environmental risks in port areas, including air emissions from shipping and port operations; and building capacities in oil spill preparedness and response through government‐industry partnerships.