Five weeks from today marks the start of the highly anticipated 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) at the London headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a meeting where the shipping industry is likely to you’ll hear about the upcoming tougher green targets, says Sam Chamber at Splach247.
Shipping has faced significant pressure from regulators and NGOs alike to cut emissions, but a new analysis from Clarksons Research puts the industry’s carbon footprint in a different light.
The latest estimates from Clarksons suggest that emissions from shipping from tank to wake will contribute 2.1% and 822 million tonnes to global CO2 production in 2023, a marginal reduction from the 2022 figures for the 2.3% and 845 million tons as slower speeds impact.
To put these figures in context, transport overall contributes around 21% of global CO2, according to Clarksons, with the biggest polluter being power generation at around 39% (see charts below).
Furthermore, while other transport sectors have seen emissions grow in recent years, maritime transport has managed to continue reducing its carbon footprint.
Over the period 2009 to 2019, between the financial crisis and covid, data from the International Energy Agency shows that CO2 emissions from both passenger vehicles and road freight transport increased by around 20%. . Aviation emissions data shows even higher growth.
Clarksons data shows that, over the same period, CO2 emissions from shipping fell by around 14%, largely thanks to the slow shipping era that manifested in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
Splash will bring readers regular updates from MEPC, which is scheduled to run from July 3-7.
Source: Splash247
