Climate orgs urge the US to regulate maritime emissions

US-based non-profit Pacific Environment and other climate organisations call for maritime-specific policy measures as part of the US government's zero-emission freight sector goal.

PHOTO: Aerial view of the Port of Los Angeles in southern California, US. Getty Images

The US government announced its first-ever national goal to achieve zero emissions in the freight sector, including shipping. The national goal supports the Biden administration's target of attaining net-zero emissions from the transportation sector by 2050, the White House explained.

In light of this, Pacific Environment and 44 other climate organisations have asked the administration to also implement additional policy measures and allocate funds to combat maritime emissions.

A joint letter penned by 45 organisations urged the US government to “issue an Executive Order with specific time-bound actions that will unlock opportunities and innovation for decarbonizing the maritime sector and future-proof this critical component of our supply chains.”

The letter proposed that the executive order should include the following points:

• Set a goal-based standard under the existing Clean Air Act.
• The goal-based standard should require all vessels calling at US ports to reduce carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) emissions by 20% by 2027, 45% by 2030, 80% by 2035 and 100% by 2040 on a well-to-wake basis.
• Mandate “zero GHG emissions and zero criteria pollutant emissions” for all passenger and cargo ships docked in US ports by 2030.         
• Set up a Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Fund with existing federal loan programs and allocate at least $500 million towards the development and deployment of low- and zero-emission vessels. This should include both newbuilds and retrofits.
• Establish at least two green shipping corridors with zero-GHG emission target by 2030 (one inland waterway corridor, one coastal corridor)
• Phase out and eventually ban the use of scrubbers. Require ships to use low-sulphur fuels or zero-emission technologies in US waters.

The letter also called for a transparent emission “monitoring, reporting, and verification mechanism” similar to the European Union’s Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system for ships.

This mechanism must require all vessels “to collect fuel consumption and emissions data from all ships that traverse U.S. waters and use U.S. ports,” and report it to US authorities, it said.

The US government is expected to release a national maritime decarbonisation plan in a few weeks, according to Pacific Environment.

By Konica Bhatt

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