The global shipping industry is under growing pressure to ensure its compliance with looming new environmental regulations, Kitack Lim, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), has warned. Lim’s comments were made at the opening of the Hamburg SMM maritime trade fair, one of the world’s most important events of its kind for the shipping industry. As of January 1, 2020, the IMO will mandate members to use fuels with a sulphur content of at most 0.5%,

The next few years will see some significant changes in emission regulations for shipowners. These include the rules concerning sulphur oxides (SOx) in the form of the 2020 global sulphur cap and nitrogen oxides (NOx) with the establishment of Nitrogen Emission Control Areas (NECAs) in 2021. Covering the same geographical area as the current North and Baltic Seas Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA), the NECAs are applicable to newbuild vessels only and, depending on engine