ICS: Dramatic CO2 Measures Await the Shipping Industry

The international shipping industry is about to undergo additional CO2 reductions that will be achieved in the immediate future, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe, highlighted during the United Nations Conference in Paris.

“These dramatic further CO2 reductions will be genuine and real. We will have bigger ships, better engines, cleaner fuels and smarter speed management. The mandatory worldwide use by ships of low sulphur fuel to reduce air pollution will provide a further significant incentive to improve fuel efficiency,” Hinchliffe said.

With full industry support, International Maritime Organization (IMO) is now developing additional global measures. The next step will be the collection of CO2 emissions data from individual ships.

“Mandatory regulations already adopted by IMO will ensure that all ships built after 2025 will be at least 30% more efficient than ships operating today. Combined with further technical and operational measures plus new technology, international shipping should be able to reduce its CO2 per tonne-kilometre by 50% before 2050.”

IMO data shows that shipping has already reduced total CO2 emissions by more than 10% since 2007. The share of the world economy’s CO2 emissions from international shipping was just 2.2% in 2012 compared to 2.8% in 2007, while CO2 per tonne of cargo transported one kilometre by sea has fallen around 20% in the past ten years as a result of aggressive fuel efficiency measures.

“Despite further growth in maritime trade on which the prosperity of the world depends, the significant CO2 reductions achieved in recent years suggests that shipping is well on course for carbon neutral growth,” Hinchliffe said.

Proportionate to its 2.2% share of the world’s total CO2 emissions, the shipping industry is committed to CO2 emissions reduction across the entire world merchant fleet, according to ICS.