Why Are Shipping Emissions Such a Problem?

Increasing global temperatures, rising sea levels, and serious environmental impacts. Climate change is an issue that concerns everyone. And it’s something we all need to sort out. It’s no different for shipping. The shipping industry is huge, and it has hefty emissions to match. People are only just starting to notice the severity of the problem. So what do we need to do?

The problem

Despite a lack of attention and awareness, shipping contributes a huge amount to the world’s total emissions. In fact, the lack of awareness is the main problem. Aviation receives plenty of criticism for its carbon dioxide emissions of around 800 million tonnes a year. Sound bad? Well, shipping puts that in the shadows, with about 1,000 million tonnes. Its contribution to global gas emissions is estimated to be as much as 4%. Why? To put it simply, shipping uses some of the world’s dirtiest fuels.

How has it got so bad?

The main reason shipping’s emissions have got to this level is that they’re allowed. It’s the only part of global business that isn’t regulated with targets for reducing emissions. And this is exactly what’s bothering the so-called ‘shipping progressives’. They’re people involved in the industry that want change. With a carbon footprint that matches that of trade giants Germany, you can understand why.

Spanner in the works

One thing that’s halting progress is the nature of shipping itself. It’s an international sector. So, naturally, it’s hard to get it regulated by specific countries. Developing countries like India, China and Brazil are going to be a problem for international agreements. Relying on shipping as a cost-effective method of cargo transport, they might not be prepared to make the financial sacrifice that comes with making it greener.

So now, a coalition of shipowners and charterers across the world are pushing for action. With an upcoming UN meeting in London, they want heads of state to come to an agreement and make some targets for reducing emissions and slowing climate change.

Hope for shipping

Given the pressure from some key players in shipping, it’s likely an agreement will be reached, although it may be a compromise. International coalitions are essential for these kinds of regulation changes. In 2012, the EU introduced a new Industrial Emissions Directive, which is reviewed in ‘One Directive to Rule them All’. With a view to changing the way businesses controlled emissions, it simplified regulations and covered a whole new set of industrial activities.