Two voluntary frameworks released this week by a BIMCO-chaired industry working group give shipowners and operators a common way to share vessel operational and emissions data, so the same information no longer has to be mapped, entered and checked several times over.
Emissions reporting has become a repetitive exercise for many. The same fuel and operational data is passed to charterers, verifiers, software providers and authorities in different formats, each needing its own mapping and checks. The Tripartite Joint Industry Working Group (JIWG), chaired by BIMCO, has now released version 1.0 of the Operational Vessel Data (OVD) and Vessel Emissions Reporting (VER) frameworks to tackle that problem.
The two frameworks complement each other and can help establish a common foundation for a more efficient exchange of data. Both OVD and VER are voluntary industry frameworks that do not create new reporting obligations but provide a common approach that organisations may adopt to support more efficient and consistent data exchange.
The JIWG’s development of the OVD and VER frameworks complements and builds on earlier work by BIMCO and IACS (the International Association of Classification Societies) to add emissions-reporting data elements to the IMO Compendium on Facilitation and Electronic Business. While the IMO Compendium provides common definitions and formats for maritime information, the latest work adds a practical implementation framework for exchanging operational vessel data and verified emissions-reporting results between industry systems.
Jeppe Skovbakke Juhl, Chief Naval Architect, Regulatory Affairs, BIMCO and Chair of the JIWG, said: “The maritime industry does not need more ways of exchanging the same information. It needs a common approach that allows data to move efficiently between organisations and systems. OVD and VER are an important step in that direction, reducing duplication and creating a stronger foundation for efficient and interoperable reporting.”