Title: Pressure Mounts on Shipping Industry to Cut Planet-Warming Emissions
Subtitle: UN Summit in London Aims to Set Ambitious Goals for Decarbonisation
Date: [Current Date]
By: [Author Name]
A UN summit taking place in London this week is placing increasing pressure on the shipping industry to take significant action in reducing planet-warming emissions. Maritime transport currently emits as much CO2 in a year as Germany, making it the largest global sector without a target for cutting emissions to “net zero”.
Delegates at the summit are pushing for a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and reducing emissions by half by 2030. If agreed upon, this would be hailed as the climate “deal of the decade” by campaigners. The concept of “net zero” entails actively removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere to compensate for any remaining shipping emissions.
For years, the shipping industry, governments, and environmental groups have been engaged in discussions on greener shipping practices. However, the issue was excluded from the 2015 Paris climate pact due to its complexity. Nevertheless, it is crucial to address this issue as approximately 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea.
Shipping vessels often burn highly polluting fuels, contributing up to 3% of global carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to Germany’s emissions or those of 243 coal plants. If stronger action is not taken, this percentage could rise by 50% by the middle of this century. The shipping industry’s current plans aim only for a halving of emissions by the same period, which falls far short of the commitments set out in the Paris climate agreement.
The UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO), responsible for overseeing the shipping industry, will host delegates from 175 shipping countries in London this week to establish a new timeline for decarbonising the industry. Campaigners are urging for a much stricter target of reducing emissions by approximately half by 2030 and achieving complete decarbonisation by 2050. Some even propose bringing forward the decarbonisation deadline to 2040.
Kerrlene Wills, Director for Ocean and Climate at the UN Climate Foundation, emphasizes that setting strict targets could align the shipping sector with the Paris temperature goals and instigate a transformative shift towards green technologies within the industry.
Several countries and shipping companies are in favor of stricter targets. Maersk, the world’s second-largest container shipping line, has already set its own goal of achieving zero emissions by 2040. However, previous attempts to strengthen climate ambition at the IMO were hindered by countries such as China, India, and Saudi Arabia, seeking to safeguard their domestic shipping interests.
Should the London meeting reach a consensus on these new goals, it would mark a significant breakthrough against climate change, comparable to the Paris agreement. John Maggs, from the Clean Shipping Coalition of campaigners, describes it as “a climate agreement not just of the year, but probably of the decade.”
While the industry acknowledges the need for reform, concerns are raised that the proposed targets may be too challenging and expensive. Recent research indicates that cutting shipping emissions in half this decade would only add approximately 10% to the total cost of operations.
In anticipation of the summit, Kitack Lim, the Secretary-General of the IMO, called upon delegates to make the necessary compromises and find solutions, highlighting 2023 as a decisive year for climate action. Faig Abbasov from campaign group Transport and Environment echoed this sentiment, stating that waiting until 2050 to implement decarbonisation measures is akin to waiting for a house to burn before calling the fire brigade. Abbasov urges the IMO to show political will and step up its efforts in curbing emissions.
As the world becomes increasingly aware of the urgent need to address climate change, the shipping industry can no longer ignore the need to transition to cleaner and greener practices. The decisions made at the London summit could mark a turning point in the battle against climate change, paving the way for a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly shipping sector.