Shipping climate policy continues to drift

Once again, the IMO has failed to adopt binding measures to reduce emissions from international shipping.

At a meeting in July, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was unable to agree on a plan that would cut greenhouse gas emissions by the shipping industry.

A two-year work plan to develop so-called market-based instruments was watered down at a session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), after pressure from China, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

Global measures to reduce emissions, in the form of a fuel levy or an emissions trading scheme, have been identified, but any decision to adopt either instrument will not be taken before 2012 at the earliest and could take a further 5–10 years to enter into force, so in practice it could be 2020 before the measure takes effect.

Shipping currently accounts for more than 1 billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year (3.3% of global emissions). Without emissions reduction policies, scenarios suggest that ship emissions may double or even triple by 2050 as world trade grows.

The MEPC meeting saw the conclusion of several years’ work on developing energy efficiency indices for the design of new vessels and the operation of existing ones, which could be used as very effective tools to make shipping more energy efficient. However, so far the IMO only intends to use these indices in voluntary trials.

“The energy efficiency measures are a welcome development, but on their own they will not achieve the greenhouse gas emission reductions needed. And they won’t achieve anything at all, unless they are mandatory, with an increased reduction of permitted emissions over time, so that the industry is forced to build and sail ever-cleaner ships,” said Pete Lockley at WWF-UK.

It is now twelve years since the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change handed responsibility to IMO to address emissions of greenhouse gases from international shipping, but the organisation still has not adopted one single binding measure to do so.

Source: Press release by WWF-UK, Transport and Environment (T&E), Seas At Risk, Friends of the Earth US, Oceana, Clean Air Task Force, and Bellona, 17 July 2009. See also the report “Bunker fuels and the Kyoto Protocol: How ICAO and the IMO failed the climate change test” (June 2009), by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). www.transdportenvironment.org/Pages/shipping

In this issue

High Noon for 2°C

The world’s nations agreed to “prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system” (Art. 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change¹) back in 1992. Until recently, most nations had not agreed what that meant, however.

Pollution treaty to be revised

A revised Gothenburg protocol is expected to include new national emission ceilings for 2020.

Still high ozone levels despite less air pollution

Ozone levels remain largely unchanged in many European countries, even though emissions of the air pollutants involved in ozone formation have been reduced significantly.

Ministers water down pollution legislation

EU environment ministers have agreed to water down proposals for stronger industrial pollution control.

North American ECA met by approval

The process of establishing an emission control area (ECA) off the North American shores has taken a step further.

Shipping climate policy continues to drift

Once again, the IMO has failed to adopt binding measures to reduce emissions from international shipping.

Cutting ship fuel sulphur may save 45,000 lives

Lowering the sulphur content of fuel used in shipping could prevent upwards of 45,000 premature deaths a year by reducing exposure to fine particles.

Commission scrutinizes air quality derogations

The EU Commission has approved time extensions for 19 air quality zones, but raised objections to 75 other proposed exemptions.

US to cut CO2 emissions from cars and light-duty trucks

A proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road vehicles in the USA will apply for model years from 2012.

Island states demand 95 per cent emission cuts

Island states and least developed countries agree: Rich nations have caused the problem, and should cut emissions 95 per cent by 2050.

Most rich Kyoto countries off track

Many rich countries will not be able to meet their climate commitments through active policy initiatives. Only “hot air” will do the trick.

Editorial: Bring them in

In June 2009, a coalition of environmental organisations presented a benchmark Copenhagen climate treaty. The document describes the path the world must be on to avoid catastrophic climate change, recognising that global temperature increase must be kept well below 2 degrees Celsius.

Main menu

Shipping climate policy continues to drift

In this issue

High Noon for 2°C

Pollution treaty to be revised

Still high ozone levels despite less air pollution

Ministers water down pollution legislation

North American ECA met by approval

Shipping climate policy continues to drift

Cutting ship fuel sulphur may save 45,000 lives

Commission scrutinizes air quality derogations

US to cut CO2 emissions from cars and light-duty trucks

Island states demand 95 per cent emission cuts

Most rich Kyoto countries off track

Editorial: Bring them in

Publications

Food for Thought

Northern forests, climate change and the UNFCCC

EU climate targets aligned with the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C objective

Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Collaborative-Learning project

Air pollution in Europe and children’s health

Climate Change: A Himalayan Odessey

No further discussion needed. The agreed global goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C

Fossil-free electricity 2021

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