The Hong Kong Convention – What is it and what does it mean for the maritime industry
Vessels are considered hazardous waste under international environmental law. The process of dismantling often does not occur in safe and environmentally sound working conditions. The IMO’s Hong Kong Convention which comes into force on 25 June 2025 aims at ensuring that vessels when being recycled do not pose risks to human health and safety or to the environment.
The Convention covers the design, construction, operation and preparation of vessels to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling. It also provides for the establishment of an appropriate enforcement mechanism for vessel recycling, incorporating certification and reporting requirements. Vessels to be sent for recycling will be required to carry an inventory of hazardous materials which will be specific to each vessel.
In this webinar, Gudrun Janssens, Head of EU engagement at BIMCO’s Brussels Office, explains what the Hong Kong Convention is, how it works, and how it inter-relates with other regulatory regimes. This is followed by Takeshi Naruse, Manager, Green Certification Department at ClassNK who discusses the practical implications of the Convention for recycling yards.
Download presentation by Gudrun Janssens
Download presentation by Takeshi Naruse
The recording is available upon request.
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