What is a "Green Passport"?

 

Resolution A.962(23) IMO Guidelines on ship recycling

(adopted on 5. December 2003) give advice to all stakeholders in the recycling process, including administrations of ship building and maritime equipment supplying countries, flag, port and recycling States, as well as intergovernmental organizations and commercial bodies such as shipowners, ship builders, repairers and recycling yards.

The guidelines note that, in the process of recycling ships, virtually nothing goes to waste.

 

The concept of a "Green Passport" for ships is included in the guidelines. It is envisaged that this document, containing an inventory of all materials potentially hazardous to human health or the environment, used in the construction of a ship, would accompany the ship throughout its working life.

Successive owners of the ship would maintain the accuracy of the Green Passport and incorporate into it all relevant design and equipment changes, with the final owner delivering it, with the vessel, to the recycling  yard.

However, the "Green Passport/IHM" legislation is a dynamic set of rules; and changes are still being made. In may 2009 the "International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships" (the Hong Kong Convention) replaced the Resolution A.962(23).

This results in changes regarding the hazardous materials to be registered and  also in the responsibilities laid upon the parties involved.

You can read more about Green Passport and the A.962(23) resolution at the IMO.org webpages. Just click here.

 

 

(Source: www.imo.org)