The world’s most climate vulnerable countries (CVF) from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific, have signed the ‘Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration of the Climate Vulnerable Forum’, calling the IMO to set a greenhouse gas levy on shipping.
The CVF Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration was launched during the COP26 climate summit, and urges the rest of the world to deliver on the Climate Emergency Pact, in order to accelerate action to keep the 1.5 degree temperature goal within reach.
More specifically, regarding maritime, the declaration calls for the following:
#1 Maritime Emissions: More discussion, study and work of the IMO for establishing a mandatory GHG levy on international shipping to ensure that IMO emission measures are fully aligned with a 1.5ºC pathway following IPCC AR6.
We support that the majority of the levy’s revenues be employed as additional financial support for urgent climate actions, particularly by the vulnerable developing countries
said the signatories.
#2 Maritime Zones: States should support the principles outlined in the Pacific Islands Forum 2021 Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the face of Climate Change-related Sea-level rise, in a plea to authorities at all levels to support the protection and preservation of maritime zones from the threats of climate change.
#3 Oceans and Seas: Reaffirm the importance of sustainable management, use and conservation of the World Ocean and call upon the UNFCCC and COP26 to establish a mandated process to incorporate oceans into the UNFCCC agenda and for increased investment for the establishment of observation systems, to understand impacts of climate change on the Ocean, blue carbon protection and restoration initiatives for climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as monitoring and prediction to strengthen natural disaster response and risk reduction strategies particularly for small islands.
Many shipping actors have alreay supported a global carbon levy, with ICS, Getting to Zero Coalition, Maersk, and commodity trader Trafigura, backing such a measure.
What is more, the CVF endorsement comes ahead of the MEPC 77, which will take place later this month, where member states will discuss a proposal for a $100 carbon tax for shipping by the Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands.
Decarbonising shipping requires massive investments in green hydrogen energy supply chains. This can be an opportunity for some, but for others it can increase transport costs and inequality. It also creates a risk of leaving countries behind technologically
Dr Tristan Smith from University College London commented.
In a similar development, Belgium, Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, the Marshall Islands, Norway, Panama and Sweden, Denmark, and the US signed a maritime sector declaration, which commits countries to work at IMO to adopt goals for 2030 and 2040 that place the sector on a pathway to full decarbonization by 2050.
EXPLORE MORE ON THE DECLARATION FOR ZERO EMISSION SHIPS
The signing of the declaration comes after more than 150 industry leaders and organizations signed the “Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization”, in September, urging for decisive government action to enable full decarbonization of international shipping by 2050.
Namely, the signatories called on governments to:
- Commit to decarbonizing international shipping by 2050: Set an unambiguous target to decarbonize international shipping by 2050 and deliver a clear, achievable, and equitable implementation plan to achieve this when adopting the IMO GHG Strategy in 2023.
- Support industrial scale zero emission shipping projects through national action: Support industrial scale demonstration projects addressing vessels, port infrastructure, and fuel production to de-risk first movers and accelerate innovation starting now, for instance by setting clear decarbonization targets for domestic shipping and providing incentives and support to first movers and the broader deployment of zero emissions fuels and vessels.
- Deliver policy measures that will make zero emission shipping the default choice by 2030: Adopt policy measures, including meaningful market-based measures, taking effect by 2025 that will support the commercial deployment of zero emission vessels and fuels in international shipping and make ordering zero emission vessels the default choice no later than 2030.
EXPLORE MORE ON THE DHAKA-GLASGOW DECLARATION
How many of these nations let the sewer water into the sea, rivers and oceans?
Do we put a new TAX on them as well?
In a phony political world, every TAX GRABBER seems to go wild on all people, as consumers of shipping services. The result will be higher costs.
While my invention is very important in the objective of greener more economic shipping, the industry is not seeking to welcome yet new important innovations – but this added taxation is also very wrong.