Japan has opposed to EU’s plan to include the shipping sector in the emissions trading system (ETS).
Japan believes that EU’s plan could undermine global efforts to address shipping emissions, saying that the decision was taken under a limited number of EU member countries.
More specifically, Japan’s ministry’s maritime bureau Shinichiro Otsubo urged the EC to commit to global actions under the IMO, and not take unilateral measures, sich as the application of EU-ETS to international shipping.
According to Mr. Otsubo, such action will not effectively cut GHG emissions, but could discourage investments in decarbonising technologies.
Furthermore, EU’s plan to include shipping in the EU-ETS has received criticism from shipping industry groups, while Japan has also expressed its strong opposition over the plan twice in feedback comments submitted in November 2020 and February 2021.
In the same wavelength, in line with a great deal of debate across the industry, BIMCO has expressed concerns on the inclusion of shipping in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), noting that such action will inhibit global action on reducing CO2 emissions.
The statement follows the approval of the shipping inclusion in EU ETS by the European Parliament earlier in September 2020.
BIMCO notes, an ECSA and ICS study on the implications of applying the EU ETS to international shipping from July 2020 revealed that the inclusion of regional flights has not led to emissions reductions for the aviation sector. In fact, emissions from flights covered by the EU ETS have risen by 26% since 2012.
