International climate leader Christiana Figueres, recognized as the architect of the Paris Climate Agreement, delivers the 2019 Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability, addressing efforts to stem the increase in global temperature. Talking about climate change, Ms. Figueres noted that we should focus on how we can move faster in order to protect our climate, instead of asking if we are moving in the right direction.
One of the Finnish priorities that Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, emphasizes as a success, is meteorological cooperation. Mr. Härkönen said that they have already achieved a breakthrough when the WMO and national meteorological institutes decided to actively contribute to meteorological cooperation in the Arctic.
France issued a submission to IMO, in light of decarbonization, urging for a swift global speed limit for shipping in a bid to cut the industry’s emissions. France is one of the most aggressive advocates supporting a quicker decarbonization.
Shell, on April 2, became the first major oil and gas company to leave the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers. The company said that it made this decision because of disagreement on climate policies, reiterating its support for the Paris Agreement. Shell will leave the body in 2020. Shell also found disagreements with nine other trade associations.
The consequences from climate change can greatly affect oil rigs and the offshore industry in general. Namely, increased wind speeds are able to put dozens of floating oil rigs in danger. What is more, a potential disruption in the operation of a rig can cost companies millions. What is more, meteorologists have now become a kind of high priests for finance, addressing uncertainty and advancing risk-related profits.
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) published a report focusing on the physical signs and socio-economic impacts of climate change that are accelerating as record greenhouse gas concentrations drive global temperatures towards increasingly dangerous levels.
The Port of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest container port, became the first Greek port to enter the Green Award certification program and will be providing an incentive to Green Award ships calling at the port. The move comes as part of the port authority’s broader plan to combat climate change.
As part of its efforts to tackle climate change, Danish shipping giant Maersk announced it will join forces with members of the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC) to take a tangible step towards decarbonization of ocean shipping.
The University of Southampton along with the National Oceanography Centre launched a study according to which rogue waves are occurring less often, but becoming more extreme. In the largest study of its kind, scientists analysed 20 years of observations from buoys situated along America’s western seaboard.
While Maersk has announced its plans on becoming a carbon neutral company by 2050, Port of San Diego planed future installation of a renewable, solar-powered microgrid at one of the Port’s marine cargo terminals. Several organizations, in and out of the shipping industry are proving, day after day, that they do not remain blind to the biggest challenge of our times; the rising risk of severe climate change.
