A multitude of international as well as regional or even national (local) regulations, which entered into force recently or are to be enforced in the near future and are aiming at reducing the impact from the operation of ships on the environment, represent a real headache for the stakeholders in the shipping community.

The paper will focus in particular on three areas of particular interest for the shipping community, namely:

-        Exhaust gas emissions, including GHG (NOx, SOx, PM, CO2), available technologies to meet regulations

-        Future fuels for shipping (low sulphur fuel vs. scrubbers, LNG, biofuels, fuel cells ect.), availability and cost effectiveness

-        Water Ballast Treatment issue, industry readiness to cope with bottleneck for existing ships

Main issues and concerns, which represent challenges but also potential opportunities, will be addressed, such as, but not limited to:

-        Shall I meet now the requirements or leave it for the last moment, hopping at postponements or even relaxations and/or waivers?

-        How much I have to pay?

-        What are the risks for long term decisions on technologies which are not mature yet?

-         Have I chosen the right technology?

-        Can I create a competitive advantage?   

-        How can I compromise conflicting issues, i.e. meeting environmental regulations and, at the same time, maintaining profitability of my operations, keeping my commitments with charterers and ensuring safety for my ship, her cargo and people involved?