Gold Standard is seeking stakeholders’ views and feedback on a proposal from the project developer requesting a revision to the applicability criteria of the Gold Standard approved Retrofit Energy Efficiency Measures in Shipping methodology. The revision requested involves the expansion of the current applicability conditions i.e., biocide-free hull coating to hull coatings/paints with below-average levels of biocidal materials to encourage increased adoption rates and greater GHG emission reductions.
The Gold Standard methodology currently restricts the use of biocide in hull coating/paints due to various environmental concerns and the adverse impact of biocide on marine life. However, as of 2022, market penetration of biocide-free coatings still remains well below 5%, despite having been commercially available to shipowners for decades. Gold Standard is of the opinion that amending the biocide restriction may incentivize wider adoption of premium coatings i.e., coatings with a below-average biocide (eg. copper) content thus reducing both GHG emissions. However, at the same time, biocidal antifouling coating paints are, by definition, toxic to marine organisms.