The global shipping industry, represented at the United Nations Conference in Paris by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), fully supports a global deal on climate change.
This is good news for the industry, following a recent announcement that COP21, a major environmental conference, is due to take place in Paris on December 7-8, 2015.
The shipping industry is committed to ambitious CO2 emissions reduction across the entire world merchant fleet. This will best be guaranteed if further regulation continues to be led by the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Percentage of global goods loaded/unloaded at developing countries seaports. (Source: ICS)
Proportionate to its 2.2% share of the world’s total CO2 emissions, international shipping accepts its responsibility to contribute to the CO2 reduction measures being taken by the global community.
IMO data has shown that shipping has already reduced total CO2 emissions by more than 10% since 2007.
The share of the world economy’s CO2 emissions from international shipping was just 2.2% in 2012 compared to 2.8% in 2007, while CO2 per tonne of cargo transported one kilometre by sea has fallen around 20% in the past 10 years as a result of aggressive fuel efficiency measures.
Peter Hinchliffe, Secretary General of the ICS, said: “Mandatory regulations already adopted by IMO will ensure that all ships built after 2025 will be at least 30% more efficient than ships operating today. Combined with further technical and operational measures plus new technology, international shipping should be able to reduce its CO2 per tonne-kilometre by 50% before 2050.”
CO2 per tonne-km. (Source: ICS)
“These dramatic further CO2 reductions will be genuine and real. We will have bigger ships, better engines, cleaner fuels and smarter speed management. The mandatory worldwide use by ships of low sulphur fuel to reduce air pollution will provide a further significant incentive to improve fuel efficiency.”
With full industry support, IMO is now developing additional global measures. The next step will be the collection of CO2 emissions data from individual ships, which the industry would like to see mandatory as soon as possible.
Mr Hinchliffe concluded: “Despite further growth in maritime trade on which the prosperity of the world depends, the significant CO2 reductions achieved in recent years suggests that shipping is well on course for carbon neutral growth.”
Fact File: The first COP took place in Berlin in 1995 and significant meetings since then have included COP3, COP11 and COP17 in Durban where the 'Green Climate Fund' was created. In 2015 COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, will for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, aim to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.
