Operational measures and logistical considerations for the decarbonization of maritime transport

Abstract

Maritime shipping is widely considered as the most fuel-efficient mode of transport. During the past decade, the relative share of CO2 emissions of the shipping sector has seen a slight reduction that has been attributed to the depressed market conditions that led to the resurface of the slow steaming practice. The sector has seen increasing regulatory pressure to further improve its environmental performance, not only in greenhouse gas (GHG) terms, but also in other pollutant types. Important regulation has been implemented with regards to the maximum allowable content of sulphur in marine fuel from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), whereas the introduction of MRV(monitoring, reporting, verification) in Europe will also assist in the efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of shipping. The European Union has also adopted the Transport White Paper that has set ambitious targets for reductions in GHG emissions compared to 1990 for all transport modes.

At the same time, it is noteworthy that international shipping has been excluded from the COP21 climate change agreement in Paris. The discussion on possible pathways to achieve reductions in the maritime sector is currently in a stalemate. While certain Market Based Measures (MBMs) for GHGs have been contemplated at the IMO, a final decision has not been reached. In February 2017, the European Parliament voted to include shipping into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) as of 2023, in the event that no global agreement is reached by 2021. This potential solution has been met with criticism as there are concerns that the ETS could lead to distortions in trade, and actually not be an efficient method to reduce GHG emissions. Other measures have been submitted as potential solutions to the IMO such as the