The Thor Heyerdahl International Maritime Environmental Award

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The Thor Heyerdahl International Maritime Environmental Award recognizes outstanding contributions to maritime environmental protection and sustainability.

Thor Heyerdahl and the Norwegian Shipowners' Association in June 1999 launched the Thor Heyerdahl International Maritime Environmental Award. The purpose of the Award is to: contribute to an improvement of the global environment. announce to all sections of society the environmental benefits of shipping as a mode of transport. serve as an inspiration for implementing new, specific environmental measures. Shipping has the world oceans as its field of operation, which gives this industry a special responsibility for the marine environment. Our hope is that the Award will inspire the maritime community world-wide to make an effort to improve the environment. In the future, as has been the case historically, solutions will have to be found by challenging established opinions and myths. How to qualify for the Award? To qualify for the Award, candidates must have distinguished themselves for the benefit of the marine environment, for example by carrying out or helping to carry out new environmental measures in the candidate's own operations that are not imposed on those operations by any government agency. developing new environmental measures that are feasible/financially sustainable. This will especially include measures that combine the interest of the environment with improved profitability. The Award is not to be given for achievements that are a natural consequence of the general technological, financial and/or legal development. The Award can be given to legal persons, organisations and individuals world-wide. Public authorities are not eligible. There are no limitations as to who shall have the right to submit proposals. Any proposal must be made in writing and duly documented. All proposals will be considered by an expert committee, which will make a recommendation to the Awarding Committee. The Committee will be international in its composition. The Award consists of a statuette, a diploma and a prize amount of up to USD 100,000. In 2001 the Award was won by The Green Award Foundation. The Award will be presented again during Nor-Shipping 2003. The closing date for submitting proposals is 31 December 2002. We have a common responsibility for nature and people The ocean covers two thirds of the earth's surface. From the ocean, in and below the sea bed, we obtain food, energy and heat. The ocean is home to more living species than the land, it regulates the climate and provides processes vital to all forms of life. This involves a commitment for all who live and work on or near the ocean. The industry itself, the authorities, customers and society in general feel a greater responsibility and demand higher environmental standards and lower emissions. Strains imposed on the ocean and on nature in general may affect us, but may also have consequences for future generations. We may also cause damage to nature which does not affect us, but which will be felt by people in other parts of the world. In 1969 and 1970 Thor Heyerdahl sent the United Nations two reports on the pollution of the Atlantic Ocean. The reports were made on the basis of observations made during his expeditions with the RA I og RA II papyrus rafts. The reports were one of the elements forming the background to the international community's extenstive efforts to improve the state of the ocean. This led to the formation of the IMO (International Maritime Organization), the UN maritime sub-organization. The IMO has since developed regulations and adopted conventions to alleviate the strain on the marine environment. In step with increasing knowledge of environmental problems and life in the oceans, the IMO today develops new agreements and regulations for the purpose of further improving conditions of marine life. Maritime transport appears as the most environmentally friendly mode of transport, representing only a minor proportion of marine pollution. But heightened environmental standards in the shipping industry will be an important contribution to an improvement of the conditions of the oceans. Some of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the shipping industry today are: Enhanced safety and reduced emissions of oil and chemicals This field is subject to wide-ranging international agreements. The challenge will be to achieve more faithful compliance with those agreements. This means tightened inspection regimes, increased limits of liability for emissions, commercial conditions stimulating quality shipping, and more oil reception facilities in ports. Prevent undesired spread of organisms through ballast water There are several ways of reducing the risk of undesired spread of organisms through ballast water. Ballast water can be treated by various techniques, it can be delivered to/collected from port facilities, or exchanged at sea. These methods involve a number of challenges. Research and increased knowledge is therefore important. IMO is preparing a set of international rules in this field. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions International shipping represents slightly less than 2 % of global CO2 emissions. The Kyoto Protocol delegates the task of regulating these emissions to the IMO. The IMO is now working on solutions to this problem. A more efficient combination of the various modes of transport will contribute to lower emissions. This will involve a shift of a greater share of goods transport to shipping. Research on and development of alternative fuels, such as fuel cells and gas, will be another important contribution. Environmentally hazardous fouling inhibitors to be abolished The IMO will shortly adopt an international ban on the use of the ecotoxical substance tributyltin (TBT) in fouling inhibitors. TBT disturbs the balance of hormones in some marine species and is therefore a hazardous micropollutant. Safe and environmentally friendly ship recycling When it is no longer technically justifiable or profitable to operate a ship, it should be scrapped in such a way as to make the greatest number of components and materials available for recycling and re-use. Many scrapping yards apply highly inadequate safety measures for their employees and improper treatment of substances injurious to health and the environment. The environment must be a consideration at the design stage in order to reduce environmental loads as much as possible during building, operation and phasing-out (cradle-to-grave principle). Information about the materials, chemicals and substances used in the building of the ship should follow the ship. This would contribute to a more appropriate scrapping process from the point of view of health and the environment. How? The task of improving conditions and addressing the challenges facing us can be a difficult one. Efficient measures to improve the environment require all nations to follow the same rules. Such rules can be laid down only by the IMO. Further information about the IMO is available on the organization's website: www.imo.org

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