Bangladesh steadies course toward net zero with new environmental action plan

Bangladesh has kick-started the development of a national action plan (NAP) to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping, marking a ‘key’ step toward aligning the country’s maritime industry with global environmental regulations.

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the action plan was officially launched at a recent workshop held in the country’s capital city of Dhaka, led by the Bangladesh Department of Shipping under the nation’s Ministry of Shipping, and supported by the IMO’s GreenVoyage2050 program initiated to assist developing countries in slashing their GHG emissions.

As disclosed, both public and private sector players had come together at the workshop to explore “actionable” steps that Bangladesh could take to breathe ‘greener’ life into its maritime industry. To be specific, per the IMO, a series of what is described as priority actions were identified as steps to advance Bangladesh’s maritime sustainability, including:

• improving data collection;
• establishing emission baselines;
• promoting the use of cleaner fuels;
• retrofitting domestic fleets;
• strengthening training programs for seafarers and port managers.

Opportunities for greener ship design and localized innovation were highlighted, as well, the IMO noted,