Report warns of 250% rise in shipping emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from ships could increase by up to 250% by 2050 if no further action is taken in this area, according to a report to be debated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)'s marine environment protection committee in July.

The committee will consider whether to recommend measures to address the sector's growing emissions. Report authors say significant reductions could be achieved through technical measures and the use of new technologies such as towing kites.

The authors also recommend speed reductions and ship upgrades. Other possible measures include emissions trading or a bunker fuel levy. Most of these measures appear to be cost-effective, say the authors. They could reduce emissions by 25 to 75% below current levels.

The report also provides emission data for 2007. Maritime shipping emitted 1.04bn tonnes of CO2 that year, amounting to 3.3% of global emissions. By comparison international aviation's share was 1.9%. The findings were outlined at a meeting of shipping industry representatives in London on Monday.

The IMO has been under pressure from the EU to come forward with concrete proposals to reduce the sector's greenhouse gas emissions (EE 17/10/07 http://www.endseurope.com/14118). Last year the agency said it would start considering emission reduction measures once the report was completed (EE 07/03/08 http://www.endseurope.com/14798).

Earlier this year a study showed internalising the health and environmental costs of air pollution and CO2 would reduce the profitability of major shipping companies by more than two-thirds (EE 23/02/09 http://www.endseurope.com/20732). But on Monday green group WWF insisted emissions could be reduced by at least one fifth at no cost to the industry.

Follow-up: IMO http://www.imo.org/ plus executive summary of the report

http://www.endseurope.com/docs/90518b.doc (full report not yet available). See also WWF press release http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?3037/Global-shipping-industry-would-profit-by-cutting-emissions-by-20.

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