In her first State of the Union address to the European Parliament, EU Commission President Ursula van der Leyen called for accelerating the union’s target for emissions reductions.

The European Union’s top official proposed a more ambitious target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, setting a reduction goal of at least 55% by 2030 compared to the current target of 40%. Members of the European Parliament, which represent 27 member countries, would have to adopt the proposal.

“There is no more urgent need for acceleration than when it comes to the future of our fragile planet,” von der Leyen said in her address. “While much of the world’s activity froze during lockdowns and shutdowns, the planet continued to get dangerously hotter.

We see it all around us: from homes evacuated due to glacier collapse on the Mont Blanc, to fires burning through Oregon, to crops destroyed in Romania by the most severe drought in decades.”

von der Leyen said she wants 37% of the €750 billion coronavirus recovery fund approved by EU countries to be spent on environmental objectives, adding that 30% of the fund should be raised through “green” bonds whose proceeds are meant to have a positive impact on the environment.

The EU also plans to dedicate a quarter of its budget to tackling climate change and to work to shift €1 trillion euros in investment toward making the EU’s economy more environmentally friendly over the next 10 years.

The European Green Deal is the blueprint to make that transformation, she said

“At the heart of it is our mission to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050,” she said. “But we will not get there with the status quo – we need to go faster and do things better. We looked in-depth at every sector to see how fast we could go and how to do it in a responsible, evidence-based way.

“We held a wide public consultation and conducted an extensive impact assessment.

On this basis, the European Commission is proposing to increase the 2030 target for emission reduction to at least 55%. I recognize that this increase from 40 to 55 is too much for some, and not enough for others. But our impact assessment clearly shows that our economy and industry can manage this And they want it too.”

She said that she had received a letter from 170 business leaders and investors calling on Europe to set a target of at least 55%.

To help meet the goal, the EU should invest in lighthouse European projects with the biggest impact: hydrogen, renovation and 1 million electric charging points, von der Leyen said. She wants the EU to create new European Hydrogen Valleys to modernize industries, power vehicles and bring new life to rural areas.

Source:Diesel and Gas Turbine Worldwide , Sep 16 2020

Taipei, July 26 (CNA) A group of Taiwan elementary school students, who were on a sailor training and marine education exercise, arrived in the offshore county of Penghu on Sunday, after a 17-hour trip on a sailboat.

The 60-foot boat, the “Barefoot,” sailed into Argo Yacht Club in Penghu at dawn Sunday, carrying the captain, nine students, three teachers, and a cameraman who had embarked on the 155-kilometer journey from Kinmen Island the day before.

The boat trip was part of a program initiated by Yueming Elementary School in Yilan to allow students to learn boating skills and gain firsthand knowledge of the marine environment, “Barefoot” captain Chang Kuang-chung (張光中) said.

During the 17-hour trip, the students were taught how to raise, lower and trim the sails, Chang said.

The most challenging part of the journey was when the propellers struck some driftwood as the boat neared Magong in Penghu, Chang said, adding that the damage was being repaired and would be completed by Monday.

The nine students, meanwhile, spent Sunday on the beach and were scheduled to meet with their counterparts from Penghu’s He Heng Elementary School on Monday, according to Chen Wen-chuan (陳文全), a teacher at Yueming Elementary School.

During that interaction, the Yilan students will take part in a beach cleanup, collect beach sand, and conduct experiments to find microplastics in the sea, Chen said.

They will also invite the He Heng students to visit the “Barefoot” to get a sense of what it is like to be at sea, Chen said.

The trip from Kinmen to Penghu was the fifth in a series of boat rides organized this summer by Yueming Elementary School to help its students learn more about the marine environment and gain some boating skills.

A total of 32 students in grades three to six, 13 teachers and 10 instructors are participating in the program, which is being held over a 27-day period and involves calls at several ports around Taiwan, according to Chang.

He said it is important for Taiwanese students to learn about the sea, because they live in an island country.

“I encourage Taiwanese children to connect with the ocean, because the more they learn about it, the more they will grow to love and protect it,” he said.

In addition to the trips to Magong in Penghu and to Kinmen, the “Barefoot” has already taken Yueming Elementary School students to Gueishan Island, Keelung Islet, and Matsu, and it is scheduled to continue onwards to Penghu’s Qimei Island, Anping Port in Tainan, Kenting, Orchid Island, Green Island, and Hualien, before returning to Su’ao in Yilan on August 9.

In the age of digitalisation ‘Data’ is a key asset. Especially in the post-COVID scenario, the industrial sectors are going to rely on data to drive businesses. The maritime sector is no exception as it generates a vast pool of data collected from various sources, onboard vessels and while the ships are berthed.

Data analysis allows the growth of vessel support network and improves safety. In addition, the study of data has helped in making ship management more economical, in terms of cost and time both. Onboard, the seafarers use data to chart short-term course of action with ‘predictions’. Right from collection, analysis to interpretation of data, the shipping industry is tapping at every possible source and technology to better utilize the data.

For instance, predictive analysis has become the new hotshot in the industry. Predictive analysis can be defined as using data, statistical algorithms and machine learning to determine the likelihood of future events and outcomes.

Through predictive analysis, it has become easier for the decision-makers in the industry to enhance operations both off-shore and on-shore. Right from maintenance, to predicting the weather conditions at the sea, to achieve the post-optimization, analysis of historical and real-time data is playing a cardinal role in increasing operational efficiency.

While discussing the importance of data analytics, it is necessary to take a look at the evolution of data collection and analysis. The history of data analysis allows us to understand the significance of data from the very beginning, making it quite clear that data has always been a key driver for lifting operational standards of the sector.

According to experts, maritime data analytics has already witnessed 3 ages and is about to enter the 4th age. The below-mentioned timeline shows the evolution of data analytics and the significance of data collection and analysis in each age:

The first era began in 1734 when Lloyd started listing vessels and their cargo arriving at London. The first age is at times referred to as the age of chit-chat.

The second era, which can be said to have started around 1988 is also known as investigative age. It was the time that marked the arrival of IMO number of the ships along with the internet. With internet paving its way, a number of online shipping databases were produced with analytical features. Lastly, the era gave SIN to the industry which remained a de facto shipping database for a number of years.

We are presently in the third age of maritime analytics. The age has witnessed a remarkable growth and expansion of data as an asset. Big Data algorithms are playing a crucial role in the growth of the sector by allowing the shipping companies to use the database to gain more commercial advantage.

The fourth era, as experts believe, could be dedicated to crowd-sourcing of maritime data. The sector has already realized the value of data and in the future, it is expected to focus on using the information directly from the crew of the ships. This is one significant part that is yet to be exploited to fetch intimate specification of the ships. If the sector is able to achieve the target, the maritime database will be more accurate and safe.

An average ship generates 2 GB of data on a daily basis when at sea. This is huge amount of data which can be effectively used in operation, maintenance or even accomplishing the daily chores (trivial) onboard. It all depends on effective use of data analytics or IoT, for making the most out of the data generated by the ship.

Efforts are on to implement global maritime data analytics in much better ways so as to establish consistent growth. We are now at a critical turning point where good investments are flowing in for ‘technology in maritime’, especially the data analytics sector.

The Way Ahead:

A lot needs to be done to adapt in the changing landscape of data, software and the consciousness of the stakeholders (of shipping & maritime) has to grow. Much like the Internet did 20+ years ago, data analysis and the IoT is going to change the world around us. No single company can do it all alone anymore. Right investment and a wise selection of technology is the key to digital transformation. A collaborative innovation will keep the industry evolving today and prepare it for what unfolds in the future.

The COVID-19 crisis is evolving rapidly, creating considerable challenges for the logistics, supply chain, shipping and maritime sectors. Amid such a scenario, Data analytics and technology adoption is expected to gain traction during the post-COVID phase, which is expected to stabilise the maritime industry and drive it towards growth.

Source: Sea News