There is the appreciation of the shipowners' association for the recognition of shipping as one of the five sectors in which Clean Industrial should be implemented Deal, the programme to achieve EU decarbonisation that while safeguarding competitiveness and resilience of European industry, which was presented yesterday by the European Commission. The Pact for Clean Industry includes, in fact, the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, the programme between The five planned which is dedicated to the decarbonisation of the transport sector and which provides for the definition of short-term measures and medium-term to ensure priority support for the Development of renewable and low-carbon fuels for sea and air transport. Referring to this programme, the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) has highlighted that "ensuring targeted investments in the production, distribution and use of marine fuels sustainable is essential to meet the objectives of decarbonisation of the sector, while safeguarding the competitiveness of European shipping".

For ECSA, moreover, "it is essential for the competitiveness of European industry implementing the commitment of the and reduce reporting requirements by at least 25% for all companies and at least 35% for SMEs that are the plug backbone of the European shipping industry. In this regard - he European Shipowners' Association taken over - the first package simplification (Omnibus package) is a good step Come in. The revision of the taxonomy should also make its fit-for-purpose sustainability criteria for the maritime transport'. According to ECSA, "the next simplification packages should also consider the progress made and the implementation of the greenhouse gas strategy with the aim of aligning EU legislation and ensure a level playing field at international level'.

For the shipowners' association, also "the launch of a new mechanism under the European Hydrogen Bank to reduce the risk of investments in shipping fuels represents a positive development. Exploiting national and ETS - ECSA pointed out, referring to the revenues generated by the Emissions Trading System in the European Union - is essential for building capacity industry in Europe and close the huge price gap between fuels and clean fuels that can be up to five times more expensive. In this regard, the mechanisms of Grants and auctions as service models can help put national ETS revenues to support these objectives".

"This - underlined the ECSA Secretary General, Sotiris Raptis - it's time to act urgently to make the necessary investments in clean technologies and fuels, to maintain competitiveness international development of our industry and to improve the safety of the continent. EU member states - specified Raptis - they must use the nine billion in ETS revenue from shipping to support the production of clean fuels. Urge and the Commission to reduce bureaucracy and ensure equality of conditions at the international level".

Transport & Environment (T&E), the organization independent European transport decarbonisation, has welcomed the new European programmes presented by the EU Commission to reduce the cost of energy, strengthening the role and development of electricity from renewable sources and by activating more investments and commercial solutions to to accelerate the development of clean technologies in the EU, and expressed its appreciation, in particular, of the priority given to the domestic production of renewable aviation fuels and maritime transport. However, T&E has defined a signal The decision to postpone the proposal for a climate target for 2040.

In addition, according to T&E, the European Commission has also Too hastily presented new proposals to relax the rules on the sustainability reports that - the association recalled - make companies accountable for their impacts environmental and social issues. While recognising the need to simplifications, in particular, unlike ECSA, T&E has criticized the Omnibus package, which - according to the association ENVIRONMENTALIST - "In fact, it does nothing but weaken the rules on corporate responsibility for their impacts environmental and social issues. The proposals to amend the Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence - noted T&E - limit the verification obligation to direct suppliers only, preventing adequate control along the entire supply chain supply. With the proposed changes, the risk is that there are fewer controls on environmental damage or human rights violations, e.g. in the extraction of raw materials First. The Omnibus also proposes to delay the obligation by two years for companies to report risks and impacts, changing the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The new rules would also apply only to companies with over 1,000 employees and a turnover of 450 million euros. One less availability of ESG-related information, due to the reduction in the scope of the law, would make it enormously more complex for companies to evaluate emissions along the entire value chain". Referring to the Omnibus package, Giorgia Ranzato, manager for Finance sustainable T&E, found that, "while leaving room for simplifications, today's proposal represents a step backwards for Europe, erasing a decade of progress in sustainability and global competitiveness. If approved - explained Ranzato - The new sustainability reporting will cover only 0.02% of European companies. The risk is a lack of information on ESG across the Union: a A nightmare for responsible investors and consumers. This package completely sinks corporate responsibility".

Referring then to the postponement of the decarbonisation target to 2040, and in particular the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, which is was approved and presented yesterday by the European Commission with the to reduce energy costs, complete the European Union, energy projects, attract investment and be prepared for potential Energy crises, a plan that provides for estimated overall savings equal to 45 billion euros in 2025 which would increase progressively up to 130 billion per year by 2030 and 260 billion billion by 2040, Transport & Environment found that if the plan aims to significantly increase the electrification of the economy, which the EU believes should go through from 23% today to 32% in 2030, however, more than a year After confirming that it would publish a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by by 2040 compared to 1990 levels, the European Commission has not the deadline has been met. T&E warned that "any A retreat from the expected target of -90% would deprive homes airlines and maritime operators of the regulatory certainty needed to invest in the transition, and in clean technologies, and ensuring their production within the of the EU'.

"The Clean Industrial Deal - commented Carlo Tritto, Sustainable Fuels Manager at T&E Italia - it's a step in the right direction that recognises the essential role of fuels derived from green hydrogen for the decarbonisation of the maritime and aviation transport. However, details are missing key figures on how the EU intends to close the price gap between fossil fuels and sustainable alternatives, or address the need for manufacturers to obtain more durable and consistent in volumes. The Investment Plan for the Sustainable Transport must fill these gaps otherwise, otherwise the accumulation of delays that could be fatal for this nascent industry".