Despite the COVID-19 crisis, climate change remains a crucial issue for the planet, and consequently for shipping as well. In a recent webinar, IMO reminded of its strategy to reduce shipping’s emissions, presenting significant challenges for discussion.
Commencing the webinar, Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s Minister for Transport, Singapore, stated that in order to keep up with the fight against climate change, a global ambition, to be accomplished by the international maritime communitym is vital.
None of us will be spared the effects of climate change. It is an existential threat to mankind. While the world deals with the COVID-19 crisis, it must keep up with the fight against climate change. No one can do this alone. It is a global ambition, to be accomplished by the international maritime community. But we all have capabilities, expertise, and resources to contribute to this endeavour. And Singapore will do our part, and we look forward to the maritime community coming together
In this turn, the IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim called for more action to speed up research into zero carbon marine fuels.
To achieve this, according to Mr. Lim:
IMO is stepping up its efforts to act as a global forum and promoter in R&D in zero carbon marine fuels, bringing together interested stakeholders from public and private sectors, and also private and development banks and other potential donors around the world
‘Next-Gen’ project
Speaking on the webinar, Dr. Jose Matheickal, Chief, Department of Partnerships & Projects, IMO, focused on IMO’s initial strategy for emissions reduction. As he said, in order to achieve the goals that have been set until 2050, a variety of solutions will be necessary. These solutions must be technical and operational and could work in tandem. These are highlighted in the following infographic:
What is more, In-line with the strategy of promoting co-ordinated global action on climate change, Mr. Matheical presented an IMO-Singapore collaboration. Namely, ‘NextGEN’ is a concept for a
collaborative global ecosystem of maritime decarbonisation initiatives. Its goals focus on three pillars:
- Facilitate information sharing amongst decarbonization initiatives around the world;
- Identify collaboration opportunities and gaps in the global shipping decarbonization ecosystem;
- Create a network of contact points for global decarbonization initiatives.
The collaboration aims to have a fully developed common platform in 2022/2023.
Decarbonizing the Pacific
Continuing in the webinar, Dr Peter Nuttall, Scientific and Technical Advisor, talked about decarbonizing Pacific shipping. More specifically, he focused on the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership.
Fiji, with Marshall Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, have agreed to work together to reduce fossil fuel use in our marine transportation by up to 40% by 2030 and 100% by 2050
he explained
In order for this to happen, Dr. Nuttall noted that it demands a transformation of the maritime sectors which will require new kinds of financial partnerships with bilateral and multilateral assistance.
Namely, the following measures are considered necessary in order to achieve Pacific’s decarbonization:
- An immediate blended finance investment at size and scale.
- Coordinated country-owned and driven program
- A bespoke Pacific solution
- Affordable and appropriate ship financing and insurance underwriting
- Demonstration trials of Pacific scale technological solutions
- New fuels required for a 100% transition
- Whole of sector approach is essential
- Climate facing presents a unique opportunity to transition Pacific domestic fleets
Decarbonization and developing countries
Andrew Losos, Senior Sustainable Transport Specialist Maritime Transport and Ports, The World Bank, focused on the decarbinization efforst by the World Bank for developing countries.
As he said, the World Bank has conducted an analytical study on decarbonization of shipping, which has three components:
- Assessing potential fuels and producing countries
- Filling data gaps to inform the policy language
- Workshop series
The zero carbon fuel supply study analyzes the available fuel options, concluding that the most realistic potential for the long term lies in blue and green hydrogen and ammonia synthesized from that hydrogen. With that conclusion, the study considers the potential of all countries worldwide to produce these fuels. In order to create a global ranking, World Bank developed a set of assessment criteria, which are:
- Existing infrastructure
- Regulatory framework
- Energy Resources
- Geographic location
- Shipping volumes
Applying these results on developing countries, the study shows that for e-ammonia and hydrogen, the top 3 among the developing countries are India, Mauritius and Malaysia. As for NG-ammonia/hydrogen, Brazil and Malaysia are the leaders.
Using these results, Mr. Losos says that the World Bank wants to turn them into real investments and projects. In fact, a second set of funding is underway to continue this work.
Maritime transport in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTSs)
The Pacific had its fair amount of focus in the webinar, with Jens Krüger, Acting Deputy Director Geoscience Energy and Maritime Division Pacific Community, talking about maritime transport in this area.
As he said, the Pacific lacks safety management and safety awareness, a fact that only gets worse due to the inefficiency of domestic transportation systems in responding to communities needs. What is more, another major problem is the lack of accessibility to shipping services by vulnerable groups, as well as a Lack of energy management, both onboard and at shore.
Despite these problems, the Pacific Island region as a whole contributes 0.03% of the world’s total GHG emissions. In fact, Mr. Krüger mentioned that in 2010, energy, transport and industrial sectors accounted for about 75% of total energy demand of PICTs.
In order to make the area more energy efficient, Mr. Krüger believes that a more efficient end-use energy consumption, along with reduced carbon intensity of development processesm are necessary measures.
In addition, the Framework for Action on Transport Services (FATS) 2011-2020, aims for an optimal use of transport through reduced emissions. This will be achieved by a combination of technological and operational improvements, including in ports and port infrastructure, for all vessels that operate throughout the Pacific.
Getting to Zero Coalition
Finally, Johannah Christensen, Managing Director, Global Maritime Forum, gave an overview of the Getting to Zero Coalition.
Launched at the UN Climate Actiobn Summit 2019, the Coalition aims to have commercially viable Zero Emission Vessels operating at deep-sea routes by 2030. These routes will be supported by the necessary infrastructure for scalable net-zero carbon energy sources including production, distribution, storage and bunkering.
Its actions are centered around 4 workstreams:
- Mobilizing first movers
- Fuels, technologies and transition pathways
- Closing the competitiveness gap
- Global opportunity for zero emission fuel exports.
As of now, the Coalition counts 149 members, as well as 14 supporting governments.
