Trump Withdrawing US From Paris Climate Agreement "Puts Even Greater Pressure" on Shipping, IMO to Act on Emissions

Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout. Image Credit - European Parliament 

U.S. President Donald Trump today announced his country will withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement, and while several maritime focused NGOs have been quick to criticize the move, several industry observers have said the decision only ups the pressure on IMO to deliver on its promise to reduce global emissions from Shipping.

The sector was infamously omitted from the final climate deal text, a point well noted today by Dan Rutherford, marine director at the International Council on Clean Transportation who said it was therefore "unlikely" to slow down progress on emissions at IMO.

"For example, the US remains bound by its promises to reduce black carbon emissions and dirty marine fuels in the Arctic. Trump’s move doesn’t change that," he said.

Bill Hemmings, Director, Aviation and Shipping, Transport & Environment said the move meant it was "now or never for the IMO to act" and called on the EU to deliver on its polarizing promise to act alone on emissions if necessary.

"US pullout puts even greater pressure on the shipping industry to act. We will be watching and pressing all IMO member states, particularly some of those flags of convenience representing such a large proportion of the world’s fleet not to backslide," said Hemmings.

"Already proposals on the table from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and others hardly deviate from business as usual. It's now or never for the IMO to act and time for the EU to implement an 'insurance policy' should IMO fail."

John Maggs, Senior Policy Advisor, Seas At Risk also felt the move increased the pressure on Shipping to act on emissions reduction, while Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor, Clean Arctic Alliance, took the opportunity to once again call for a ban on HFO bunker use in the Arctic.

Bas Eickhout, a Dutch politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Netherlands, said it is now "of critical importance that financial support for the climate fund does not cease."

In explaining its reasoning behind the exit, the Whitehouse Tweeted that the Paris Accord "is a bad deal for Americans."

But if wider media reports are any indication it seems unlikely at this stage any other nations will follow suit, with the European Union and China expected to issue a joint statement Friday committing to fully implement the climate deal.