The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says it is “confident” of a 50% CO2 reduction from shipping by 2050 despite the growth of maritime trade, ahead of the Paris UN Climate Change Conference in December.
ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe argues: “The entire world fleet is about 20% more efficient than in 2005. With the support of the shipping industry, IMO has already achieved a great deal and is the only forum that can deliver further significant CO2 reductions from international shipping.”
IMO has further mandated that all ships built from 2025, including those in developing nations, must be 30% more efficient than ships built before 2010, under new regulations which came into force worldwide in 2013.
Despite having historically taken issue with some elements of IMO’s 2014 Green House Gas study, ICS highlights findings that shipping’s contribution to global CO2 emissions has reduced from 2.8% in 2007 to 2.2% in 2014. “[This reduction] is across the shipping sector globally, not just ships registered in richer countries which are the only nations required to make commitments for land-based CO2 reductions under the current Kyoto Protocol on climate change,” ICS notes.
“With bigger ships, better engines and smarter speed management, the industry is confident of a 50% CO2 reduction by 2050 when the entire world fleet will comprise super fuel-efficient ships, many using clean fuels such as LNG,” concludes Hinchliffe.
The news follows a letter from European parliament environment groupsurging EU governments to include the shipping and aviation industries in the upcoming COP21 climate deal.
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