The Solution
Ninety percent of global trade takes place via ocean transport, making shipping reform a complicated and important task.
By tackling shipping emissions here at home, the United States can set the international standard for ocean-based climate action and assert pressure on the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the international governing body for the shipping industry, to adopt more aggressive emissions-reduction goals. A clean-shipping standard will also spur widespread electrification of electrical grids and the development of renewable energy sources.
The good news is that the IMO will adopt a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Plan in 2023 and that the goal will be to reduce emissions by 50% to 100% by 2050. We already have the technology available to transition the shipping industry away from fossil fuels starting this decade. The bad news is that they are currently stalling on immediately implementing reasonable and proven actions that will cut emissions—such as slow steaming, which basically means adopting a global speed limit. For example, slowing ships down by only 12% has been shown to reduce emissions by nearly a third while only negligibly impacting trade.
Sustainable shipping is good for us and our ocean
Ocean Conservancy is committed to ensuring action is taken swiftly. Although it sometimes feels like an uphill struggle, we remain confident that the countries of the IMO will do the right thing and provide examples of how to reduce emissions immediately, while working to completely eliminate them in the long run.
By eliminating fossil fuels from the shipping industry, the U.S. can help address the climate crisis, set an international example and kick-start a countrywide transition to renewable energy and zero-carbon technologies.
YOU Can Help
Unless action is taken, experts predict shipping emissions will increase and could account for upwards of 17% of GHGs by 2050.But—with your help—that could be changing.
Take action to urge the Biden administration to move forward with our commitments by updating the United States climate commitments and clearly aligning with the ambition of the Paris Agreement to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius. We need to plan for at least a 50% reduction in emissions over 2005 levels by 2030 and to decarbonize shipping completely by 2040.
