Continue to compete with road and rail transport and reducing CO2 emissions by 20% in 2030; that is the goal of the Declaration of Nijmegen that was signed last week by the Dutch inland shipping sector and Dutch Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure and Water Management, I&WM).
With this Declaration, the sector commits itself to do everything in its power to speed up becoming "greener".
Stay Ahead
'Inland shipping already has a large head start when comparing its CO2 emissions with those of trucks and trains. To stay ahead, inland ships have to switch to even cleaner engines and fuels,' says Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen. 'A ship lasts some 40 years, a truck is replaced every 6 to 7 years, meaning there is no time to lose to switch to new cleaner technology. The Declaration of Nijmegen is a good place to start in this respect.'
Towards Carbon-neutral in 2050
The Declaration of Nijmegen was initiated by the Ministry of I&WM in close cooperation with European Green Capital Nijmegen. The goal of making inland shipping greener of this agreement will also be included in the coming Climate and Energy Agreement. In 2050, the inland shipping sector is to be carbon-neutral.
Three Step Plan
Parties participating in the Declaration have committed themselves to a three step plan: through a feasibility study and demonstrations (1) to pilots (2) and finally upscaling (3). Up until the end of 2020, cross-border exploration of sustainable inland shipping solutions takes place. This goes beyond just emissions to the propulsion train and alternative and renewable fuels. From the proposed solutions, the sector will select a number of commercially viable options to work on in public-private pilots. Successful pilots will be deployed on a large scale. Depending on the solution chosen, the date of upscaling can be sooner or later.
Stimulating Sustainable Investments
Because large logistics companies have already committed themselves to the Declaration, a large reduction of CO2 emissions is foreseen for the near future. Participating shippers now take emissions into account when selecting their tranport making the least polluting option the most attractive. This stimulates the inland shipping sector to make sustainable investments.
Participants
The Declaration was signed 12 April at the Ports & the City Congress in Nijmegen. The river Waal at Nijmegen is one of the busiest shipping routes in Europe and was chosen as Green Capital of the EU this year by the European Commission.
The Declaration of Nijmegen was signed by amongst others BCTN, Heineken, Friesland Campina, North Sea Port, NedCargo, Danser Group, Port-Liner and the cities of Rotterdam and Nijmegen.
