Ahead of critical meetings at the IMO, regarding the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, which will start on 3 April, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says that governments must compromise to help IMO agree on an ambitious strategy for the reduction of CO2 emissions by shipping.
ICS suggests that if IMO wants to reduce the sector’s total CO2 emissions by, for example, 50%, rather than 70% to 100%, this would still require a major improvement in ship efficiency over ‘business as usual’.
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ICS Chairman, Esben Poulssonm noted:
While ICS does not fully agree with them in every respect, alternative proposals made by China and Japan merit serious consideration and could form the basis of a possible compromise. China in particular seems to have made a real effort to move away from its previous opposition to establishing CO2 reduction goals for the sector’s total emissions. If EU nations want a global agreement they should acknowledge this by similarly modifying their own positions.
ICS said that the ultimate goal is the elimination of all CO2 emissions from international shipping sometime between 2050 and 2100, or as soon as the worldwide availability of zero CO2 fuels makes this possible.
In advance of zero CO2 fuels becoming available globally, the industry has also proposed that IMO should adopt the following objectives:
- Maintain international shipping’s annual total CO2 emissions below 2008 levels;
- Reduce CO2 emissions per tonne-km, as an average across
international shipping, by at least 50% by 2050, compared to 2008; and - Reduce international shipping’s total annual CO2 emissions by an agreed percentage by 2050, compared to 2008, as a point on a continuing trajectory of CO2 emissions reduction.
