ClassNK, Green Award Strengthen Ties to Enhance Socially Responsible Shipping

Classification society ClassNK and quality assurance organization Green Award revealed plans to further broaden their cooperation in an effort to ensure safety and minimize negative effects of the shipping industry. 

Class NK has become a Green Award incentive provider.

ClassNK is said to cover about 20 percent of the world merchant fleet. The classification society’s representative has been a member of the Board of Experts of Green Award Foundation for a number of years. The foundation audits and certifies ships and ship managers that demonstrate excellent performance and go beyond industry statutory regulations in terms of safety, quality and environmental protection.

“We are grateful for the input and expertise that ClassNK has been contributing for years to the Green Award scheme through its membership on our Board of Experts. It is especially pleasing to see that our collaboration goes even further now. Responsible approach to all the issues around recycling of ships containing hazardous materials such as heavy metals, asbestos, ozone-depleting substances and others will benefit not only the maritime industry, but local communities, entire countries and the general public,” Jan Fransen, the Green Award Foundation, commented.

As explained, current issues of concern of the shipping industry are the focus of both organisations. Improvement of maritime security, safety of seafarers and reduction of ecological footprint require actions and industry-wide implementation of corporate social responsibility principles.

Stakeholders of the maritime industry need to continue to take steps for protection of public health, the ocean and the environment. Green Award promotes and supports this idea, while ClassNK, dedicated to the safety and environmental pollution prevention, shares the goal, the duo said in the statement.

Ship recycling is one of the major issues that cannot be omitted and needs urgent attention. ClassNK has been addressing this issue in numerous ways including carrying out inspections on compliance with the Hong Kong Convention (HKC). ClassNK issued the world first HKC statement of compliance for ship recycling facilities in 2012 and the South Asia first statement in 2015. Its verification has provided the industry with “the transparent and reliable” criteria for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling.

Moreover, ClassNK offers a software solution for the development and maintenance of the inventory of hazardous materials (IHM), which is one of the regulatory requirements for ships. The software has been used by 3,000 companies in shipping, shipbuilding, and manufacturing sectors.

“As the IHM contains ship specific locations and quantities of hazardous substances on board, a ship recycling facility can utilize the information for its safe and environmentally sound recycling practices. Recognizing the IHM is a key element for better ship recycling,” Tetsuya Kinoshita, ClassNK Senior Executive Vice President and the Member of Board of Experts, the Green Award Foundation, said.

“ClassNK is glad to team up with the Green Award Foundation to launch this collaborative initiative promoting IHM development. Together with the Green Award and the industry we will continue working for a safer and greener future,” Kinoshita added.