Environment Groups Say Draft Climate Deal Exempts Shipping From Emission Cuts

The groups decried the lack of plan in place to address emissions reduction in the sector.

Environmental groups Seas At Risk and Transport & Environment have decried an alleged draft deal of December's global climate deal, claiming that it exempts the shipping and aviation sectors from "targeted CO2 emissions cuts."

Both groups said that the exemptions were "irresponsible," especially as carbon dioxide emissions in the two sectors are projected to grow 250 percent by 2050. 

“International aviation and shipping have climate impacts equal to Germany and South Korea respectively, yet they are tax-free on their fuel and are now set to be target-free on their emissions," said Bill Hemmings, aviation manager at Transport & Environment.

"It’s a betrayal of future generations and a sad reflection on the way the UN has become beholden to special interests."

Proposals to have both sectors contribute to climate-fighting finances were also reportedly dropped in the draft. 

“Excluding shipping from Paris opens up a fatal flaw in the global strategy to tackle climate change," said John Maggs, senior policy adviser at Seas At Risk and president of the Clean Shipping Coalition. 

"As the IMO secretary-general’s recent remarks show, without a clear signal from the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), the IMO (International Maritime Organization) is incapable of making the necessary decisions to ensure shipping takes a fair share of the burden of reducing emissions.”

Last week, Ship & Bunker reported that IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu had released a statement urging world leaders against a hard emissions cap on the shipping sector.