RightShip backs Port of Québec’s emissions reduction initiative

Canada’s Port of Québec has decided to use a greenhouse gas (GHG) rating tool from maritime risk management agency RightShip to assess the emissions of ships entering its waters and offer discounts on port fees to vessels, dependent on their GHG rating and emission efficiency.

According to RightShip, the tool provides a transparent method to assess the relative efficiency of vessels and compare a ship’s CO2 emissions relative to peer vessels of a similar size and type, using an A-G scale.

The Port of Québec will use the system to measure and manage the emissions of vessels travelling in and out of the 35 km2 site via its EcoCargo initiative.

EcoCargo is designed to drive shipping decarbonisation through fee reduction incentives based on RightShip data or by a ship owner’s level of achievement within the Green Marine environmental certification program.

It is believed that this initiative could help reduce potentially harmful effects on local populations and the environment, ultimately creating a safer landscape with improved air quality.

As Port of Québec’s CEO, Mario Girard, explained, different RightShip GHG ratings earn different discounts for ship owners, beginning with a 30% discount for an A rating, 20% for a B rating, and 10% for a C rating.

“… While government incentives are key for decarbonisation, ports and terminals also shoulder the responsibility of making zero-harm shipping cost-effective, in an industry which can often see a lag between innovation and uptake due to long lead times on vessel upgrades and retrofits”, said Tam Pham, senior sustainability advisor at RightShip.

According to RightShip, the company is also in talks to initiate similar programmes across South America and APAC.

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