Ten years after a global treaty was ratified in Hong Kong for new rules to lift the standards for ship scrapping, there should be reason to celebrate.

But with only eight nations signing up to comply with the convention over the past decade, hopes now ring hollow that itwould spark a rapid clean-up of a dangerous and dirty business.

Regardless of the convention’s weaknesses, however, signs are emerging that ship demolition may be starting to make real progress towards becoming a safer and more environmentally sound activity.