Friday 23 October 2020

Life With an Ocean Haze?

Shipping and aviation transport (of people and materials) have, thus far, largely escaped impositions of emissions targets. Shipping, currently accounts for around 2.5% of the planet's annual, global carbon dioxide release (equivalent to 1bn tonnes of the gas or 2x the UK's total output). Things appear to be, belatedly (due to Corona virus-related delays), happening with the London-based International Marine Organisation (IMO) now aiming to reduce emissions from shipping by 'peaking as soon as possible' and then achieving a 40% reduction (from the peak, whatever that turns out to be) by 2030 (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/23/green-groups-condemn-proposals-to-cut-shipping-emissions). As one might expect, this has been applauded by industry bodies like the International Chamber of Shipping but condemned by environmental organisations like the Clean Shipping Coalition. The latter don't think that the IMO proposals accord, evenly remotely, with the Paris agreement on emissions. If we are really going to get worldwide limits to greenhouse gas emissions and the resultant climate change, we can't go on having aviation and shipping treated largely as if they are independent of the countries that own and use them.

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