The contribution of the Panama Canal Green Route to reducing emissions from international shipping
Alexis X. Rodríguez
Panamá, Ciudad de Panamá
axrodriguez@pancanal.com
Abstract
Since its opening in 1914 the Panama Canal has reduced time and distances. More than a million vessels have used the route through Panama, cutting distances, reducing costs and changing the pattern of world trade. The expansion of the Canal has enlarged the capacity for cargo transportation by this route, thereby setting new standards for maritime trade and industry.
The Green Route
The Panama Canal Green Route stepped up its strategy (https://www.pancanal.com/eng/cuenca/LaRutaVerde-English.pdf), placing emphasis on the following as factors which determine why the Panama Canal is the Green Route of maritime trade:
.1 Lower distances, fuel consumption and sailing times than other maritime routes.
.2 As the Panama Canal route is entirely on water, the carbon footprint of the goods passing through it is reduced, thus contributing to the global efforts to tackle climate change.
.3 Promotion of the Canal basin and implementation of new conservation programmes based on sustainable development.
Emissions reduction
The Panama Canal has developed a software tool which automatically calculates the CO2 emissions associated with maritime transport, incorporating different routes and cargo transport modes. Among the criteria used in developing this tool, two stand out: it should be easy to use and the calculation method should be consistent. The inputs used in calculating CO2 emissions are: type of ship, amount of cargo, mode of transport, origin and destination of cargo.
Green Connection Award
The Panama Canal has introduced a program to reward environmentally-friendly performance by clients and ships which achieve the environmental limits set by the International Maritime Organization and/or show outstanding compliance with globally recognized parameters. Five environmental parameters have been selected, as listed below:
.1 Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI);
.2 Environmental Ship Index (ESI);
.3 nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions deriving from Tier-2 engine performance;
.4 ships with liquid natural gas (LNG) propulsion;
.5 tonnes of CO2 reductions achieved by using the Panama route as compared with alternatives.
Good Practices to be applied by organizations
The Panama Canal is focus in for objectives that involves the major climate change topics mitigation, adaptation, conservation and emissions reduction not only for the international shipping, also by its operations. The Panama Canal has identified lines of action and positive actions that focus on environmental management and reduction of emissions, these actions are:
To reduce and mitigate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the development of more efficient projects of generation and the execution of energy efficiency measures to reduce the emissions per unit of production.
To optimize the environmental management of the operations of the Panama Canal through the follow–up, evaluation and identification of better practices to avoid and reduce the environmental impacts.
To comply with the socio-environmental agreement for a sustainable management in the Canal Watershed through the integral management of the natural resources that allows to preserve and protect the water resources.
To contribute to world initiatives to reduce the gas emissions with greenhouse effect from the maritime industry through the acknowledgment and incentive of good practices executed by their clients.
Conclusion
The Panama Canal Green Route with the expanded Canal is assisting the efforts by nations and the maritime industry and the work done by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the International Maritime Organization aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. It also constitutes a model of early action taken to reduce GHG emissions from the maritime industry.
The efforts of the Republic of Panama, through the actions undertaken by the Panama Canal, not only bring benefits and prosperity for the country but also have a direct effect on worldwide efforts to combat climate change.