Clean Shipping Coalition backs IPCC's 2030 goal of halving CO2 emissions
A global shipping alliance suggests that a self-imposed target of halving carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and a 30% reduction in methane emissions is the best indicator of the shipping sector's commitment to decarbonising itself.
PHOTO: Street view of International Maritime Organisation building in Lambeth, London, UK. Getty Images
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that global CO2 emissions must drop by 48% and methane emissions by 34% by 2030 - compared to 2019 levels - if global warming is to be limited to 1.5°C, in its latest assessment report.
The Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) argues that the shipping sector should self-align with the IPCC's climate targets to send a “sure signal” of its commitment to decarbonisation.
“A clear 1.5°C limit for 2030 is the only way for shipping to bear its fair share of the burden of avoiding dangerous climate change,” it says.
CSC is a global alliance of shipping industry experts and policymakers from the IMO and climate non-profits like Transport & Environment and Carbon Market Watch.
According to the coalition, the next seven years are " critical" for the shipping sector. It calls on the IMO to set "ambitious science-based absolute emission reduction targets for the industry for 2030.”
The IMO had set a target of minimum 40% reductions in carbon intensity per transport work by 2030, compared to 2008, and a 70% reduction by 2050. In recent years, however, many experts have urged the IMO to set tougher targets for shipping that are aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement.
The CSC argues that the IMO has failed to "rein in" the shipping sector's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “Continued low ambition at IMO could make shipping the wrecking ball of global climate action,” it cautions.
The IMO's intersessional GHG working group is meeting this week, where members are expected to finalise a revised GHG strategy. The IMO will revise its GHG strategy at MEPC 80 in July.
“2023 is IMO's year of decisive climate action. The time to act is now,” IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said at the group's opening meeting on 20 March.
The IPCC report also points out that GHG emissions can be mitigated by using sustainable biofuels, low-emission hydrogen, ammonia and synthetic fuels - a point the CSC agrees with. The CSC believes that adoption of cleaner marine fuels is key to a long-term transition.
The non-profit further underscores that an "ambitious" 2030 target would prevent the adoption of "false climate solutions" such as fossil LNG, and reduce industry’s decarbonisation costs by “hundreds of billions of dollars.”
By Konica Bhatt
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