IMCA publishes recommended code of practice on Environmental sustainability
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) today (27 May 2021) launched its Recommended Code of Practice on Environmental Sustainability (IMCA ES 001). This Code was developed by its Members through IMCA’s committee governance structure and sets expectations for the marine contracting industry in managing key environmental and climate topics associated with offshore marine construction.
IMCA’s CEO Allen Leatt explained:
“IMCA started its environmental sustainability journey with its members four years ago. Since then, a great deal of groundwork has been accomplished and I would like to thank all our committee members for their sustained effort in the past year in developing this Code, which although voluntary is strongly encouraged for our membership.
“Feedback from our 2021 membership survey reinforced that we were on the right track in emphasising the importance of environmental sustainability and the energy transition. Almost 90% confirmed that was critical or very important in IMCA’s strategy; and more than four-fifths acknowledged their client base is increasingly using environmental sustainability in evaluating contractors and suppliers.
“There is much work to do to put this Code into practice across the industries we serve. I look forward to this next phase of implementation in helping to improve environmental performance at this critical juncture.”
This Recommended Code of Practice looks in-depth at the subject. The introduction embraces five key topics:
- The reason for a Recommended Code of Practice in our industry
- Principles of environmental sustainability
- Scope and regulatory content
- Significant environmental aspects for our industry
- Strategic objectives and target setting.
Sections then follow on ‘Significant environmental aspects’; ‘Making an impact on environmental sustainability across our industry’; and ‘Measuring and monitoring industry progress’.
Appendices cover multi-stakeholder initiatives and commitments; key environmental aspects found in global frameworks and standards where illustrative KPIs can be found; and Carbon intensity indicator proposed proxies for our industry. A useful glossary will prove invaluable to many.
Nadine Robinson, IMCA’s technical expert in environmental sustainability, added:
“The pandemic has brought home the interconnected nature of economics, society and the environment, which has accelerated global attention on climate change and sustainability. We are grateful for the time and expertise of the dedicated experts in our Environmental Sustainability Committee drawn from 13 member companies of our membership, and to the Workgroup convened from 10 countries to develop the detail of this publication during this challenging time.
“IMCA’s Board has closely followed the development of this document and welcomes its publication. It sets a useful foundation upon which to build. It will be revised over time in keeping with evolving industry practice and regulation on environmental sustainability matters, and we recognise that this is a fast-moving area.”
IMCA ES 001 is freely available for all IMCA members to download at www.imca-int.com/store/digital-publications/
