Page 8 - European Energy Innovation - Spring 2017 publication
P. 8
8 Spring 2017 European Energy Innovation
GREEN SHIPPING
How shipping can contribute
to the global climate effort
By Jos Delbeke, Director-General, DG Climate Action, European Commission
Untapping the emissions emissions could grow by between CO2 emissions from international
reduction potential in the 50% and 250% by 2050, according to aviation. This measure will require
shipping sector could make a estimates by an International Maritime airlines to offset the growth of their
significant contribution to global Organization (IMO) study. CO2 emissions after 2020. In the first
efforts to fight climate change. phase, 65 countries will participate
Decisive action to reverse this on a voluntary basis. After 2027,
Maritime transport emits trend will allow the shipping sector participation is mandatory, except
around 1000 million to contribute to the global low- for Least Developed Countries or
tonnes of CO2 annually carbon transition – and reap the countries with small aviation activities.
and is responsible for benefits of further energy efficiency
about 2.5% of global greenhouse improvements. At the same time, Another major achievement last year
gas emissions, which is equivalent maritime transport is currently the only was the agreement on the global
to the annual emissions of Germany. transport mode and economic sector phase-down of climate-warming
Without mitigation measures, these without a greenhouse gas emissions hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). These
reduction objective. potent greenhouse gases were added
to the list of substances controlled
ACCELERATING THE LOW-CARBON under the Montreal Protocol, the
TRANSITION successful international treaty
The historic Paris Agreement designed to protect the ozone layer.
concluded in 2015 sets out a global The phase-down of HFCs could
action plan to put the world on track save around 80 Gigatonnes of CO2
to avoid dangerous climate change by equivalent by 2050 and make a
limiting global warming to well below significant contribution to fighting
2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit the climate change.
increase to 1.5°C.
FURTHER ACTION NEEDED TO CUT
As part of its contribution to the Paris SHIPPING EMISSIONS
Agreement, the EU committed to While other sectors are making
further reduce its greenhouse gas headway on tackling their emissions,
emissions, by at least 40% below 1990 the maritime transport sector does not
levels by 2030. Sectors covered by the yet have a greenhouse gas emissions
EU emissions trading system (ETS), reduction objective. This cannot be
such as electricity and heat production, considered as fair. It also undermines
industry and intra-EU aviation, will have the efforts of other sectors towards the
to cut emissions by 43% compared “well below 2°C” objective of the Paris
to 2005. Other sectors, including Agreement.
road transport, will need to cut
emissions by 30% compared to 2005. Some progress has already been made
This commitment is currently being to address emissions from shipping.
translated into legislation. The UN body in charge of maritime
transport, the International Maritime
After the Paris Agreement, Organization (IMO), started working
sectors outside the UN climate on the reduction of greenhouse gas
negotiations followed suit. Last emissions in 1997. In 2011, it adopted
year, the International Civil Aviation a mandatory minimum efficiency
Organisation (ICAO) agreed to standard for new ships (Energy
establish a global scheme to stabilise Efficiency Design Index, EEDI) and the
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
