ABS: Guide for the Environmental Protection Notations

The American Bureau of Shipping has published the Guide for the Environmental Protection Notations for Vessels.

This Guide was published on 1 June 2023 and came into force on the same date.

This Guide supersedes the ABS Guide for the Class Notation Environmental Safety (ES), March 2001 (Updated January 2019).

Those vessels which currently have an ES Notation will continue to be eligible to maintain the ES Notation, provided the requirements contained within the ES Guide continue to be satisfied.

The ENVIRO or the ENVIRO+ Notation are available to vessels contracted for construction after the effective date of this Guide and those existing vessels which currently maintain the ES Notation provided the requirements contained in this Guide are satisfied.

The “LEV”, “NOx Tier III”, “EEDI-Ph3” and ENVIRO-IDP Notations are stand-alone Notations and do not require compliance with any other “Enviro Notations”.

The June 2023 updates to the Guide include revisions to Sections 1, 2 and 3 to correct IMO Resolution references to the latest documents and delete survey after construction requirements in Subsection 6/7 since they have already been relocated to 7-9-15 of the ABS Rules for Survey after Construction (Part 7).

This Guide has been developed with the objective of promoting an environmentally focused design, construction, and operation of ABS-classed vessels.

The requirements specified in this Guide are additional to all other relevant requirements of ABS Rules and Guides.

This Guide identifies a foundational level which establishes that a vessel complies with international environmental regulations and associated ABS Rules or Guides which are aimed at enhancing environmental protection.

In addition, it establishes standards for a higher level of environmental protection that can be achieved through compliance with more stringent criteria related to design characteristics, management and support systems, sea discharges, and air discharges.

This Guide is for the use of designers, builders, Owners, and Operators in the marine industry and specifies the ABS requirements and criteria for obtaining the optional notations Environmental Protection (ENVIRO) in Section 2, Environmental Protection Plus (ENVIRO+) in Section 3, Low Emissions Vessel (LEV) in Section 4, NOx-Tier III Notation in Subsection 2/37, EEDI-Ph3 Notation in Section 5 and ENVIRO-IDP in Section 6.

The ENVIRO Notation identifies the level of compliance with international environmental protection requirements and integrates associated ABS requirements which influence environmental protection.

For the ENVIRO+ Notation, this Guide invokes compliance with more stringent criteria for environmental protection related to design characteristics, management and support systems, sea discharges, and air discharges.

The optional Notation LEV recognizes that the specified marine diesel engines on the vessel meet stricter gaseous and particulate emissions limits than those regulated by MARPOL Annex VI.

The NOx-Tier III Notation identifies that all marine diesel engines on the vessel are in compliance with the Tier III NOx limits of Regulation 13 of Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78, as outlined in Subsection 2/37 of this Guide.

The EEDI-Ph3 Notation indicates that the verified attained EEDI of a ship is less than or equal to the required EEDI value for EEDI Phase 3 determined in accordance with MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 24 as amended by MEPC.328(76).

The ENVIRO-IDP Notation indicates that the vessel's protective oil-to-sea seals and drydock inspections are in compliance with the specific requirements of the VGP as described in the paragraphs 2.2.9 and 4.1.4 of the VGP 2013.

Scope and Application

Vessels designed, constructed, and operated in compliance with the foundational requirements of this Section may be assigned the class notation ENVIRO, Environmental Protection. Vessels in compliance with higher level requirements of Section 3 may be assigned the class notation ENVIRO+, Environmental Protection Plus.

If you need more information, please visit the ABS Rules and Guides page, where the document is available FOR FREE.