One Planet Shipping report predicts smaller, cleaner, regional ships
Urgent action needed from the maritime sector of climate targets are going to be achieved – New Weather Report on Shipping
“As an Olympian who spends much of his life on the sea, I witness first-hand the problems of ocean pollution and disruption to the climate caused by global warming. The shipping industry is one cause of this crisis and is sailing straight into a future of ever-worsening extreme weather that threatens the lives of sailors and boats of every size. We urgently need a new vision for ‘one planet shipping’ which steers the industry to work within the biosphere’s ecological and climate limits. This report offers vital fresh thinking for us to set sail on that journey.” Fynn Sterritt, UK Olympic sailor
New Weather’s report for Seas at Risk warns all climate damage targets will be missed unless transformative change happens immediately across the global shipping industry.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s decarbonisation goals are 30% by 2030, 80% by 2040 and complete decarbonisation before 2050 but there is no hope of reaching these with today’s practices. What is needed for the future is greater flexibility in ship design in order to make use of wind energy, green electricity and new fuels; and a redesign of supply chains to make them shorter and more regional.
The report suggests a ‘one planet’ approach that looks beyond just emissions to include the relationship between shipping, ports, global consumption and supply chains. It tackles fair treatment of workers, respect for communities most vulnerable to the impact of shipping and restoration of ocean health – clean water and flourishing marine life.
The shipping industry today has a major negative impact on climate change, contributing 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions – equivalent to the annual emissions of Germany. The future industry needs to be smaller, smarter and much, much cleaner.
