UCL says % of Shipping Emissions in Port Areas. File Image. Image Credit: Ship & Bunker

• 10% of international shipping emissions occur within port areas, UCL researchers estimate
• Figures drawn from 1.2 million voyages by more than 43,000 vessels over one year
• Free tool launched ahead of IMO Net-Zero Framework talks resuming next week
• Group says small island nations show the highest in-port emission shares

Researchers at UCL estimate that 10% of international shipping's greenhouse gas emissions occur within port areas, a share they argue could be cut using electrification technology that already exists.

The finding comes from the university's Shipping and Oceans Research Group, which has built its case on AIS data covering 1.2 million voyages by more than 43,000 vessels and total emissions of 575 million mt of CO2e.

The group says port-area emissions could be addressed through shore power at berth, battery-electric propulsion while idling or manoeuvring, and converting short-sea vessels to run on batteries, describing these as mature technologies.

The analysis is published alongside an interactive tool, the Shipping GHG Emissions Explorer, which the group says is intended to improve the evidence base for IMO negotiations on the Net-Zero Framework (NZF), due to resume next week.

The tool lets IMO delegations see the shipping activity and emissions attributed to their own country's trade, broken down by vessel type, port, and trading partner, and by whether emissions arose in port or on voyage.

"Although imperfect, AIS-centred big data approaches have revolutionised our ability to understand key trends in the energy demands and GHG emissions associated with international shipping activity," said James Stewart, research fellow at the group, in a statement.

The group's analysis points to small island nations as having the highest in-port emission shares.

"7 out of 10 countries in Latin America/Caribbean and 8 out of 10 in East Asia Pacific that have the highest in-port emissions are small island nations," said research assistant Yoseph Ismail, adding that these countries' shares are often above 20%.

The release does not address the cost or practicalities that such electrification efforts would require..

An update planned for September is set to add state-level seaborne trade volumes and estimates of the economic impact of the proposed NZF amendments, ahead of the framework's potential adoption later this year.

The tool is free to use on the group's website here. https://www.shippingandoceans.com/