Maritime transport, ships delayed on the ecological transition

2023-07-11 17:17:03

Cutting emissions, forward slowly. A little too much though. The sector of maritime transportwhich alone generates 3% of world pollution, does not want to turn towards ecological transition. The most recent CO2 reduction targets established for vessels byImo (International Maritime Organization), although a step forward on those of 2018, are still insufficient. Scarce to allow the achievement of the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 foreseen by the Paris Agreements.

The document of the IMO national delegates, in a meeting in London a few days ago, has more than one gap. Carbon neutrality? All right. But the date is very vague (“in”, “around” 2050…). An undefined horizon. And we are talking about the main commitment. According to experts, this uncertainty about the timing of climate neutrality is open to interpretation and could move the sustainability clock far forward, even by decades. It is true that the IMO’s intermediate objectives for cutting harmful emissions from ships are ambitious. The latest draft of the London document sets, for example, a reduction of greenhouse gases of at least 20% by 2030, reserving the right to aim for 30%. For the following decade we even expand towards -70%, with the aim of going to -80%.

Maritime industry experts say that, despite the ambitions, all of these numbers are still too low. To decarbonise sea transport in line with French intentions (global warming ceiling at 1.5° degrees), a cut of at least 45% is needed by 2030 and carbon neutrality no later than mid-century. In essence, the IMO’s goals are not only too vague, but also “completely inadequate”, as he defines them Faig Abbasov Of Transport & Environment. “Assuming the measures start in 2026, the cumulative emissions would exceed the carbon budget by 1.5°C as early as the end of 2033,” Abbasov explains. And the shipping sector would not achieve climate neutrality for another 17 years.

As far as Europe is concerned, it should be remembered that the EU, in line with the Fit for 55 package, has already set a ship emission price. The obligation to purchase permits to sail the sea with polluting boats will concern all those with a tonnage greater than 5 thousand tons (but in a few years the threshold could be revised). For a ship covering the route between two European ports, the share of emissions to be offset in cash (according to the ETS, Emissions Trading Scheme) will therefore be 100%. For voyages that depart from or arrive in an EU port, the threshold drops to 50%.