ClassNK and Green Award announced that they would further broaden their cooperation to ensure safety and minimize negative effects of the shipping industry. ClassNK became a Green Award incentive provider.
ClassNK, a ship classification society, known for its highest quality classification services, covers about 20 percent of the world merchant fleet. The society is committed to safety and the prevention of pollution of the marine environment. As such a representative of ClassNK 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.
Current issues of concern of the shipping industry are the focus of both organisations: Green Award and ClassNK. 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 actively promotes and supports this idea, while ClassNK, dedicated to the safety and environmental pollution prevention, shares the goal.
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. ClassNK’s verification has provided the industry with the transparent and reliable criteria for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling, and has been welcome by shipping companies, ship recyclers, and labor unions. 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 widely used by 3,000 companies in shipping, shipbuilding, and manufacturing sectors. ClassNK has issued the HKC statement of compliance for approximately 1,000 IHMs.
ClassNK, the pioneer and leader in promoting safer and greener ship recycling hopes to further encourage early implementation on compliance by offering a 10% discount on the issuance of HKC statement of compliance for the IHM to Green Award certificate holders. (For more information, please contact the Marine and Industrial Service Department (mid@classnk.or.jp).)
Jan Fransen of the Green Award Foundation, welcomed ClassNK’s decision to become an incentive provider: “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.”
Speaking on the occasion Tetsuya Kinoshita, ClassNK Senior Executive Vice President and the member of Board of Experts, the Green Award Foundation said. “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. 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.”
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