Countries' Climate Ambition Dampens as Clock Ticks on Shipping Talks

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Byย Sara Stefanini, Climate Homeย News

Negotiations over a long-term climate strategy for the global shipping industry are growingย fractious as countries battle over the level ofย ambition.

A coalitionย in favour of a strongerย emissions reduction target welcomed new allies in the run-up to this weekโ€™s International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting, where delegates are due to adopt an initial strategy byย Friday.

Canada has become increasingly vocal and New Zealandโ€™s new Labour government has added its weight to the coalition spearheaded by Pacific island and northern European states.ย Australia and the Bahamas, the worldโ€™s sixth largest shipping flag state in 2017, are also chimingย in.

But the compromise emissions reduction goal on the table โ€” 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 โ€” is half the level small island states say is needed to prevent the most disastrous effects of climate change in their countries. And the concern is the goalย could be pulled down further in the final days of talks, a dozen national delegates and observersย told Climate Home News, speaking on condition ofย anonymity.

โ€œYesterday and today make me less optimistic,โ€ Green European Parliament member Bas Eickhout, from the Netherlands, told reporters on Tuesday in a barge converted into a pub across the street from the IMO headquarters. โ€œWhat is on the table is the bare minimum, and itโ€™s not goodย enough.โ€

EU leaders have threatened toย impose regional regulation on ships entering the blocโ€™s portsย โ€“ anathema to the industry โ€“ if the IMO does not stepย up.

โ€œEvery sector needs to bear its responsibility,โ€ said Jytte Guteland, a centre-left EU lawmaker from Sweden. โ€œWe [in the European Parliament] donโ€™t want to do things if IMO is taking responsible action, but we are willing to go further ifย necessary.โ€

Most Pacific and small island states want to see full decarbonisation by 2050 or even 2035,ย in line with the Paris climate agreementโ€™s stretch goal to limit global warming to 1.5C. Marshall Islands Minister David Paul said in a speech on Monday that the country will โ€œvery publicly disassociateโ€ from an outcome that doesnโ€™t quantify an emissions reduction target consistent with thatย goal.

โ€œWe will have to send the message that at the end of the day the technologies do exist for [the industry] to decarbonise by 2035, and thereโ€™s really an opportunity for the taking in order to make their business far more efficient and far more profitable,โ€ Paul told Climate Homeย News.

United Nations Secretary-General Antรณnio Guterres also stressed that the IMO, a UN agency,ย shouldย โ€œencourage the maritime industry to make the needed transition towards net zero greenhouse gasย emissionsโ€.

European countries and the European Commission haveย proposedย a 70% emissions cutย by 2050 as the least the sector should do, while aiming forย 100%.

But that looks increasingly hard to achieve asย major emerging economies and flag states dig their heels in at the provisional compromise of a 50% cut. An alliance including Brazil, Panama and Saudi Arabiaย is resistant to the idea of a cap on emissions, preferring to focusย on cuttingย emissions relative to each tonne of cargo shipped. With volumes of seaborne trade set to rise, that approach would not guarantee emissions cuts in absoluteย terms.

Trying to go above the text on the tableย risks disrupting the fragile consensus, said Simon Bennett, deputy secretary-general of the International Chamber of Shipping.ย โ€œThe only question about what the European Union is asking is whether itโ€™s going to be acceptable to other countries,โ€ he said. โ€œAnd if there is no agreement this week, itโ€™s going to be veryย damaging.โ€

The maritime industry accounts for 2-3% of global greenhouse gases, but its emissions are projected to increase by as much as 250% by 2050 without intervention. The International Chamber of Shipping and other industry players want the IMO to reach a deal this week that provides a signal for investment in cleaner fuels and efficientย technology.

Climate advocates continued to speak up for higher ambition at the IMO on Tuesday, with activists picketing the entrance. Inside the building the talksย were hushed, with huddles of NGO representatives and delegates whispering aboutย strategy.

Failure to commit to full decarbonisation by mid-century will โ€œcreate serious investment uncertainty for the industry,โ€ said Faig Abbasov, shipping officer at the NGO Transport andย Environment.

The IMOโ€™s plenary instructed the climate working group to submit a written report by Thursday, and to consider whether thereโ€™s a need for an extra follow-up meeting onย how to implement the strategy. Most delegates expect an initial deal will be agreed, as failure to do so would look bad for an industry already under fire for moving slower than most to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. The final strategy is due inย 2023.

Unlike the UNโ€™s climate change summits, where ministers fly in to push the negotiations to a close, the IMO decision is expected to remain in the hands ofย specialist negotiatorsย and the organisationโ€™sย chief Kitackย Lim.

This article originally appeared onย Climateย Homeย News.

Image Credit: IMO

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