Discussion on Decarbonising the Shipping Industry to Be Featured Alongside UN COP23 Climate Talks

Ambition 1.5C: Shipping's Global Action Plan is being held on Monday November 13, 2017. Image Credit: Ambition 1.5C

Shipping analysts, industry figures, and campaigners Monday are set to meet alongside next week's United Nations (UN) COP23 climate talks to discuss plans to decarbonise the shipping industry.

The sideline event, Ambition 1.5°C, is set to discuss technologies, facilities, and tools needed to develop an ambitious low carbon action plan based on an an accelerated "pathway" developed by the Sustainable Shipping Initiative.

Green groups say Monday's event come at a critical time, and just over 5 months before the IMO is due to present an initial strategy to cut shipping's greenhouse gas emissions.

"With the reality to achieve a 50 percent reduction in CO2 by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement, zero emission vessels (ZEVs) need to be entering the fleet in about 2030," said Katharine Palmer, Environmental Manager at Lloyd's Register.

"The big question is how do we make this a reality? As a co-organiser of this Ambition event, we have the opportunity to highlight the potential and commercial attractiveness this offers and by bringing together the key stakeholders, of what is often a fragmented industry, the possibility to deliver a global action plan we can all commit to."

The wider COP23 event will see 197 countries meet in Bonn to discuss how to implement the 2015 UN Paris Climate Agreement.

Diane Gilpin, Founder and CEO of the Smart Green Shipping Alliance, commenting ahead of the meeting, said: "the need for zero emission ships represents great opportunities for ambitious shipping companies. If we look to the land based industries already generating significant financial value from renewable energy we might be able to envision similar pathways for shipping.

"Shifting, wherever possible, to renewables creates corporate resilience in an uncertain future. No one is pretending it's easy, or there is a one-size-fits-all solution but that's what makes it an exciting opportunity - we have a plethora of technologies, talent, and deep knowledge, and by creating ambitious collaborations we embark on an exciting global challenge together."