FNU’s Fiji Maritime Academy imparts sustainable knowledge to students so that they practice pollution-prevention measures onboard vessels.

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” – Robert Swan.

There are many definitions and interpretations of sustainability.
One of the ways to describe it would be that it “focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”¹.
The concept of sustainability is composed of three pillars: economic, environmental, and social, also known informally as profits, planet, and people.

Planet Sustainability
In the context of the definition, planet sustainability is easily understood. In the quest of saving the planet from destruction by the growing human population, a myriad of causes come to mind, climate change, pollution, greenhouse gases, ozone layer and so on.
The analysis of cause and effect will point to typical human behaviour. The fact that the global population tripled between 1950 and 2015, and will grow by another 8.5 billion by 2030, is a matter of significance.

The use of fossil fuels to power travel, the production of electricity by burning coal contributes to essential evils of modern lifestyles to feed demanding creature comforts for inhabitants of this planet negatively impact the environment.
The production of garbage, especially plastic sewage and other undesirables, finding its way into the oceans form a collection of problems that commenced in the last century.
Aerosol cans and refrigerants releasing gases to the atmosphere contribute to damage to the Ozone layer.

Sustainable Shipping
There is no doubt that sustainable shipping is connected like an umbilical cord to Mother Earth.

Although the carbon emission of shipping is around 2 per cent of the world contribution, International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the shipping community have gathered with gusto to address the issues created by ships and shipping to the planet.

Unless by some miracle, air or rail transport can support the globalisation of import and exports, 90 per cent of the goods that rove the oceans in shipping containers and large tanks will remain.

Since the pollutant source cannot be eliminated, the best strategy is to sustain it by mitigating the factors.

Emission Pollutants
Emissions from diesel engines contain a mixture of pollutants each with its deadly consequences. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) adds to the carbon layer causing global warming, Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) and Nitrogen Oxide (NO) causing acid rain and lung problems for humans. This is the same for particulate matter (PM) Black Carbon, all gushing out of the funnel of a ship’s diesel engine using heavy fuel oil.

IMO 2020 has set targets to reduce the shipping industry’s carbon footprint cutting greenhouse gases (GHG) “to reduce CO₂ emissions as an average across the international shipping industry by 40 per cent” working towards 70 per cent by 2050.

The various ways to achieve it would include reducing fuel consumption by slow steaming. This means it would take a vessel longer to reach its destination, but some compromise is needed to save the planet.

The use of LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lights and automatic power off of equipment and lights when not required is also encouraged.
Shipping companies have begun installing scrubbers to tackle Sox and Nox to comply with the IMO Sulphur cap of 0.50%.

There are other ways to reduce emissions. The use of antifouling paint for efficient water flow through the hull, convert alternative fuels such as LPG or Biofuels all add up to reaching the goal of zero undesirable emissions.

Other Pollutants
Considering that 71 per cent of earth’s surface holds 1.3 billion cubic meters of water for an estimated 50-80% of all life on earth, then the pollution of this mass of water would mean the demise of at least 50 per cent is imminent.

Although there is no doubt that CO₂ is the main culprit for global warming and climate change, there are other pollutants too that IMO looks at with contempt.

Ships and shipping contribute to ocean pollution and have been a source for many years.

According to statista.com as of January 2018, there were 53,732 ships in the world’s merchant fleet. That is a significant number of potential pollution producing sources.

• Disposal garbage, especially plastics, sewage and chemicals pose problems to the ocean.
• Marine dumping containing unwanted machinery parts, steel ropes, and empty oil barrels.
• The scrapping of ships that complete their useful life poses a threat to the environment.
• Noise from the ship’s engines and propellers is a nuisance to marine life.
• Ships hulls coatings used to prevent fouling and increase efficiency must be environmentally friendly.
• Ballast water exchange causes issues with invasive species travelling from one ocean to another, attacking other marine life.

There is no doubt that efforts are being made by Government and international organisations working on unravelling the tangled web we weaved in the past century.

Rules and regulations, however, are only good if implemented and sustained.

Awareness and education are key factors.

The Fiji National University’s (FNU), Fiji Maritime Academy (FMA), through the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) guidance, imparts this knowledge through its programmes to students so that they practice pollution prevention measures onboard vessels.

• This article was written by FNU’s, Fiji  Maritime Academy (FMA), Chief Executive Officer, Mahesa Abeynayake on the occasion of World Maritime Day 2020.