EMEA News
Regional Blocs Could Lead on Curbing Shipping Emissions
Regional measures to curb shipping's emissions could outflank global measures, an environmentalist non-governmental organisation has said.
The Brussels-based Transport & Environment points to the strong position that a handful of states have given that most of the world's shipping passes through their ports.
"With the vast majority of ships passing through Europe, China and the US, these leading economies can unilaterally regulate emissions without relying on the ineffective IMO," T&E said in a statement on November 15.
Although China, Europe and the US account for 40% of shipping emissions, most ships call at one of their ports, the ngo added.
Adopting measures to reduce their maritime emissions would create "a de facto global regulatory regime".
Among the measures highlighted in the T&E statement are carbon markets, pollution taxes, energy efficiency targets and zero-emission fuel standards.
The T&E intervention comes as the global climate emergency conference COP27 goes into its second week of deliberations at an Egyptian resort.
