The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has opted for neglecting an initial decision for setting a new worldwide target regarding greenhouse gas emission reduction that the Marshall Islands proposed.
The environmental lobby group that is Transport & Environment (T&E) came out and accused the IMO of failing to comply with its obligations and making procedural excuses to avoid the matter.
When the proposal was announced back in April, Tony de Brum, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Marshall Islands, commented that the industry could quite possibly go to account for 6-14% of the total global emission levels if action is not taken immediately.
“We have presented our proposal in order for global shipping to serve as the climate leader. I urge my colleagues that are here today to come and join us in our efforts. With the winds blowing in our sails on our journey to Paris, we are obliged to make this step together and take all the necessary measures to guarantee a better future for our planet,” Brum added.
“It is with great regret that the IMO made the decision that business is as usual more important than any other aspects, even the ones about agreeing that the global shipping industry has to contribute towards coping with climate changes,” T&E commented via a statement.
T&P reported that shipping emission levels have jumped up by roughly 70% since the beginning of the 1990s and accounted for 2.7% of the total CO2 emission volumes in 2012. Under the stipulations of the current policies, the IMO’s 2014 GHG study predicts an increase rate of 50% to 250% by the year 2050 regarding global shipping CO2 emission levels, which would at the time account for 6-14% of the total global emission volume.
The UN shipping body’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC)’s chair commented in London that the IMO plans on addressing maritime emission levels at an appropriate date in the future, without giving any specific details when that might be.