The Environmental Ship Index (ESI) entered a new era in March, with the confirmation of an expanded suite of performance modules to support ports and vessel owners on the journey to decarbonisation and lowering emissions.
Potential emissions
Coming online in 2026, ESI’s revised and expanded offering will take into account a range of potential emissions, introduce a new GHG methodology, and reward innovation and application of zero-emissions techniques onboard vessels.
What is ESI?
The Environmental Ship Index (ESI) is a voluntary system designed and used by ports to incentivize ship owners to improve the environmental performance of their vessels. Applicable to any vessel exceeding current IMO emission standards, ESI has become the established global standard for ports to incentivise the ongoing improvement of shipping’s environmental performance.
MEPC agreed on an illustration
In late March, the Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81) agreed on an illustration of a possible draft outline of an ‘IMO net-zero framework’ for cutting greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from international shipping.
The new ESI will also address global concerns about the environmental impact of vessels on marine life. Alongside its widely adopted noise functionality, from 2026 ESI will offer a new option to reward the mitigation of underwater radiated noise.
ESI has been recognised by the IMO as the standard basis for port incentives for low- and zero-carbon ships. The index was created by major ports in cooperation with the IAPH and has been fully integrated into the IAPH’s governance structure since 2020.
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Source : Safety4sea
