UK urges other countries to back zero int’l shipping emissions by 2050

16 / 09 / 2021

By Marwa Nassar - -

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps called on other countries to support a target of absolute zero for international shipping emissions by 2050.

In fact, the CO2 that shipping produces annually equates to 3% of all carbon dioxide emitted by human activity worldwide. And in the UK, domestic shipping alone produces more greenhouse gases than rail and buses combined.

The fuel used for shipping continues to be some of the most polluting fuels across all transport modes and, this, despite regulatory intervention limiting its sulphur content.

“And when you consider that maritime trade is expected to double over the next decade, you start to understand the scale of the environmental challenge this industry faces,” Shapps said.

“Action is needed now – vessels’ lifespan means that zero emission ships should start being deployed by 2025 if we stand a chance to achieve our 2050 target,” he added.

Only last month, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change became the latest expert organization to stress that significant and immediate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to avoid the dire impacts that global warming would inflict on the environment.

Clearly, urgent and radical action is needed to put global maritime on a sustainable footing.

And that means it’s up to forward-thinking nations, working through international organizations, to focus minds and place the industry on an irreversible course towards decarbonization.

“That is why we’ve announced at the greenest ever London International Shipping Week and just 2 months before we welcome the world to the COP26 conference in Glasgow that the UK will lead the clarion call to encourage other countries in supporting a target of absolute zero for international shipping emissions by 2050,” Shapps said.

There is no doubt that this target, which would need to be agreed through the International Maritime Organization, requires a massive commitment by shipping worldwide to raise its ambitions.

“Pioneering people and enterprises who are already creating the green maritime technologies and businesses of the future. Not just to play their part in tackling the climate emergency, but to compete and grow our green economy too. To create thousands of jobs in emerging maritime technologies and to grasp the huge opportunities that will open up in the market for cleaner, more modern shipping,” he added.

Redesigning ships to be fuel-efficient:

“We’re already getting a taste of how vessel designs will change. They will be the most fuel-efficient that this industry has built since the transition from sail to steam power,” he said.

Redesigned from the keel up, ships’ll feature optimized hull forms, new rudder and propellor arrangements, new foiling systems to reduce drag and improved wind assistance through sails and rotors.

For some slower ships carrying bulk products, things may go full circle – with steam giving way to sail.

“Innovation will spread quickly through the market. Even in the short term, we expect most ships will be between 35% and 45% more efficient by the 2030s, and perhaps at least 50% more efficient by the end of that decade,” Shapps said.

“Whilst by the 2040s, we expect to see the widespread introduction of ships featuring carbon-free propulsion, for example, using hydrogen, ammonia or high-density batteries,” he added.

“As we announced in the recent launch of the UK Transport decarbonization plan, we’re going to consult on a potential phase out date for the sale of new, polluting domestic vessels and fuels, and ultimately set out a course to fully decarbonize UK maritime, step by step, from 2030,” he said.

“We’re also exploring the set-up of a UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions – a dedicated unit within the Department for Transport focused on decarbonizing the maritime sector,” he added.

Earlier today, the UK government launched a green shipbuilding campaign.” As a maritime nation with a rich history, we are proud to be at the forefront of the greener era for maritime, charting an international course for the future of clean shipping,” he said.

Taking action now will help us lead the charge on decarbonization, reducing emissions and shaping the landscape for what clean shipping and trade will look like for future generations.