BIO Intelligence Service has carried out an assessment of the feasibility of defining criteria to identify green dismantling facilities and ships that are suitable for recycling.
The economic benefits and the social and environmental risks associated with the ship dismantling industry are the subject of intense debate around the world. Ship dismantling is a particularly complex problem and is very controversial, both because of the serious environmental and social consequences it generates and because of its economic impact in some countries. In recent years, this question has grown in importance on the international political agenda, particularly within the European Union.
This study was therefore launched to support the objectives of the European strategy for ship dismantling.
The main objectives of the study were twofold: to examine the feasibility of drawing up a set of criteria for identifying ships that are suitable for dismantling, and to draw up a list of “green and safe” dismantling facilities, in order to improve the conditions under which the ships are dismantled.
The study also provided an analysis of a number of criteria which, in close collaboration with the EU, could help to identify the ships to be dismantled and ensure that they are dismantled in safe and environmentally sound facilities. One key aspect was to determine whether the criteria could be considered a complete and reliable tool for developing the future lists of green facilities and ships ready to be dismantled.
The study also assessed the possibility of increasing the effectiveness of the application of the International Convention on the Recycling of Ships and the Regulation of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste, through the use of these criteria.
Source: BIO Intelligence Service. 2009
