China considers marine law amendment to reduce carbon emissions - China Daily
Chinese Communist Party-run China Daily reports that China's top legislative body is considering amending its Marine Environment Protection Law for the first time since 2017.
PHOTO: Aerial view of Shanghai port. Getty Images
China Daily reports that the draft amendment was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for the first reading on 27 December last year.
In a draft amendment, China says it will encourage using new and clean energies in ships and phase out old, energy-guzzling vessels that emit high carbon emissions to cut its carbon footprint.
Coastal governments need to build infrastructure for supplying shore power to ships in ports, according to the draft amendment. Vessel owners, port runners and shore power suppliers can get fined $1,400-70,000 if they do not comply with shore power rules.
“Shore power supply capacity in ports should be sufficient to meet the demands of docked vessels,” China Daily quoted the document as saying.
Coastal governments will also be mandated to provide financial and policy support for clean alternative fuel vessels.
China Daily quotes Wang Hongyao, vice chairman of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee, saying, "as China accelerates the construction of an ecological civilization, the Marine Environment Protection Law has not been able to adapt to the new circumstances. It urgently needs to be amended.”
By Konica Bhatt
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