Relating Short-term Measures to IMO’s Minimum 2050 Emissions Reduction Target

This paper investigates how improvements in the technical efficiency of newly built ships and reduction of their speed, along with the use of low-carbon fuels, could improve the probability of achieving the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s 2050 emissions reduction target. In April 2018, IMO agreed its initial greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy during the 72nd session of its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 72). The strategy aims to achieve a reduction of at least 50% in international shipping’s GHG emissions by 2050, and includes short-, mid-, and long-term measures to achieve these reductions. This paper focus on the short-term measures. Because of the long time it takes to deploy technological innovations, the work on low-carbon fuels and technologies must begin now. In the short term, measures improving the technical and operational efficiency of ships are needed, and IMO has pronounced mandatory regulations for energy efficiency in international shipping under the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). The regulations mandate that new ships be steadily less carbon-intensive. The regulations will undergo regular review, and can be modified as necessary. The EEDI is the sole legally-binding, mandatory energy efficiency regulation for international shipping. While it will result in only marginal emissions reductions in the short- and mid-term, because of slow fleet turnover, it will have an increasing effect on efficiency and emissions in the long-term. Also, as the standards become more stringent, the EEDI can drive innovation in shipping by promoting the use of innovative technologies that reduce carbon emissions and GHGs still further.

• Record URL:
  https://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/IMO_Short_term_potential_20181011.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)

  1500 K Street NW, Suite 650
  Washington, DC  United States  20005
• Authors:
  • Corner, Bryan
  • Chen, Chen
  • Rutherford, Dan
• Publication Date: 2018-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: White Paper
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 7p
• Serial:
  • Working Paper
  • Issue Number: 2018-13
  • Publisher: International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Greenhouse gases; Regulations; Shipping; Technological innovations
• Identifier Terms: International Marine Organization; Marine Environment Protection Committee
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01684544
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 29 2018 11:11AM