BIMCO’s CII clause adopted
The BIMCO Documentary Committee has adopted a CII Operations Clause for Time Charter Parties which will help the industry implement new requirements from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), according to BIMCO's release.
New regulations on the carbon intensity of international shipping will come into force on 1 January 2023. The complex CII regulations are expected to significantly impact the future operation of ships. Shipowners and charterers must embrace new ways to co-operate, and new clauses for charter parties will be needed to help owners and charterers succeed.
The starting point for the new CII clause is that a time charterer should take responsibility for a ship’s emissions because the charterer makes the relevant decisions on the operation of the ship. When entering into the charter party, or incorporating the clause into an existing charter party, the parties are to agree on a specific CII to be achieved each year.
As the industry faces more regulations from the IMO and the EU aimed at reducing shipping’s CO2 emissions, the need for new contracts and clauses increases. In December 2021, BIMCO published an EEXI Transition Clause and at the end of May 2022, BIMCO released a new Emissions Trading System Allowances (ETSA) Clause for Time Charter Parties in response to the European Union’s intention to include shipping emissions in the EU's emissions trading system, the ETS.
