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Shipping failing to meet emission reductions targets: IEA

A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) report slams shipping for failing to take tough enough measures to reduce its carbon footprint.

The Tracking Energy Perspectives study rates the progress of sectors towards limiting global warming to below the international agreed 2C limit from green (good), amber (work to do) and red (poor). Shipping is rated ‘red’.

The IEA has outlined a number of immediate steps that the International Maritime Organization and the shipping industry as a whole need to make on climate change. These include rolling out a shipping carbon tax, boosting EEDI measures, toughening enforcement of emission checks and investing in incentives to encourage green investment.

“Defining a GHG emissions mitigation target for international shipping is a first step to getting on track with 2DS targets. Raising the ambition of the EEDI, introducing mandatory standards on operational efficiency (also requiring proper monitoring of ship performances) and pricing GHG emissions are effective instruments to move in this direction,” the report noted.

On the EEDI target the IEA analysis is as follows: “Meeting the 2DS requires the global shipping fleet to improve its fuel efficiency per vehicle-km at an annual rate of 2.3% between 2015 and 2025. Yet, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), applying to new ships only results in a fleet average improvement of 1% to 2025… implementing IMO’s final GHG strategy only by 2023 will have very little impact on the possibility of meeting 2025 2DS targets.”

In a poll just published by Splash sister title Maritime CEO 59% of the more than 500 respondents felt a bunker fuel levy was the best way for shipping to tackle emissions.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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