Poor climate performance: Can shipping become greener?
With just a few adjustments, emissions from shipping can be reduced by 2030. A recent study shows that by taking precautions to save energy and increasing the use of alternative forms of propulsion, such as hydrogen, emissions can be cut by almost half.
Maritime transport accounts for about three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Added to this are the even higher emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), soot and particulate matter. It is therefore undeniable that the shipping sector has a significant impact on the environment, climate and health - and that the industry needs to step up its pace for the green transition. But cheap, clean propulsion alternatives to the current, widely used diesel oil do not yet exist on a large scale.
However, greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping could be halved by 2030 without affecting global trade. This is because other measures and precautions can be taken to curb the environmental impact of waterborne transport even now. This is the result of a study by the Dutch consultancy CE Delft, according to which already available techniques can be used to at least reduce CO2 emissions by 28 to 47 percent in this decade. The analysis suggests various measures, from better engine maintenance to increased efficiency and speed reduction for energy savings. Software technologies can also be useful, for example to adjust course speed to maritime conditions with the aim of optimising engine performance. But above all, the industry should - according to the study - increasingly rely on alternative propulsion technologies such as hydrogen, bio-fuel or electric batteries.
These arrangements would certainly not represent a permanent solution, but they would gradually bring maritime transport closer to a greener future. At least until technology has found a sustainable solution from an environmental and economic point of view - and so that they can also support other legal measures at the international level, such as the establishment of a so-called SECA zone on the Mediterranean from 2025. To this end, the EU plans to integrate shipping into the European emissions trading system and thus give it a CO2 tax. Negotiations with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) are currently still underway. However, there is talk of a worldwide levy of 100 US dollars per tonne of carbon dioxide. And in the end, the shipping industry could even save money if it followed the study's proposal. This is because the costs from emissions trading or a CO2 tax would be far higher than the six to fourteen percent cost increase envisaged by the green investment.
What does the future of maritime transport hold? Will climate pollution from boats and container ships finally be reduced? This is as important on the waterways as it is on the land routes.