US Climate Envoy John Kerry Calls For 2050 Zero Emissions Target at IMO

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday April 21, 2021

US climate envoy John Kerry has said the Biden administration push for a tougher decarbonisation strategy at the International Maritime Organization, calling for zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by 2050.

Kerry made the comments at a conference hosted by Ocean Conservancy on Tuesday, according to news agency Reuters. The current IMO strategy is for a halving of shipping's greenhouse gas emissions from 2008's levels by 2050.

Under the previous Trump administration the US was less supportive, opposing the IMO's initial strategy on decarbonisation.

Once the European Union brings shipping into its emissions trading scheme in the next few years -- and with the UK now advancing its own decarbonisation plans for shipping -- pressure will mount on the US to follow suit.