Elektrans Global

Climate Change and Global Warming –

Reductions in CO2 emissions by shipping industry.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is an environmental treaty negotiated at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, then entered into force in March 1994. Its objective is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

The parties to the convention have been meeting annually from 1995 in Conference of the Parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was concluded and established legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the period 2008- 2012.

The 2010 Cancun agreement set the limit for future global warming to below 2Deg C relative to the pre-industrial level.

In December 2015, the Paris Climate Change Agreement (COP 21) had been adopted. It clearly identifies a goal of “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2Deg C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5Deg C above pre-industrial levels”.

IMO has contributed, and said it will continue to contribute, to global GHG reduction goals. IMO and its Member states recognize the important need for international shipping, which accounts for 2.2% of CO2 anthropogenic emissions, to support global efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change.

IMO secretary general, said, “The Paris Agreement represents remarkable progress and builds on the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, which itself was a significant step forward. The absence of any specific mention of shipping in the final text will in no way diminish the strong commitment of IMO as the regulator of the shipping industry to continue work to address GHG emissions from ships engaged in international trade.”

Thus far, IMO is the only organization to have adopted energy-efficiency measures that are legally binding across an entire global industry and apply to all countries.

Following the outcome of Kyoto Protocol (1997), IMO has worked on mandatory energy efficiency standards for new ships, and mandatory operational measures to reduce emissions from existing ships. These requirements have entered into force under an existing international convention (MARPOL Annex VI) in January 2013. By 2025, all new ships will be 30% more energy efficient than those built last year (2014).

This is more than a target, it is a legal requirement, and demonstrates that IMO is the correct and only forum to identify solutions and an appropriate pathway for international shipping to de-carbonize with the rest of the globe.

IMO’s third study on greenhouse gas emissions from ships (2014) estimates that international shipping emitted 796 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2012, down from 885 million tonnes in 2007. This represented 2.2% of the globe emissions of CO2 in 2012, down from 2.8% in 2007.

Continuing efforts will include development of a global data collection system for ship’s fuel consumption to be discussed in detail at the next meeting of IMO’s MEPC in 2016, further consideration of a total-sector reduction target for GHG emissions from international shipping, as proposed by the Marshall Islands this year and continued investigation of additional mechanisms for ships to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

During COP21, IMO provided an update of its work to address GHG emissions from bunker fuels. Specifically, IMO reported on its work on further developing guidelines to support the uniform implementation of the regulations on energy-efficiency for ships; and on its efforts with regard to technical co-operation and capacity building to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the new regulations worldwide and, importantly, activities to support promotion of technical co-operation and transfer of technology relating to the improvement of energy efficiency of ships.

IMO SG has encouraged Governments to bring the spirit of the Paris Agreement to IMO and come forward with new, creative proposals and to approach them in a constructive and co-operative manner.

The shipping industry, which was represented by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) throughout the conference, also welcomed the agreement.

The shipping industry remains committed to ambitious CO2 emission reduction across the entire world merchant fleet, reducing CO2 emissions per ton/km by at least 50% before 2050, compared to 2007, the ICS said.

Despite the absence of an explicit reference to shipping, ICS said that the message from the world’s governments is clear. “I am sure IMO member states will now proceed with new momentum to help the industry deliver ever greater CO2 reductions, as the world moves towards total de-carbonization by the end of the century,” said ICS secretary general.

The Shipping industry has already taken steps to reduce CO2 emissions through energy efficiency on ships. Following the Paris agreement (COP21), the shipping industry would need to strive even harder to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thereby contribute in its effort /share to further reduce global warming and climate change.