The International Council on Clean Transportation

Maritime shipping

The maritime shipping program provides policymakers with the data and analysis they need to avoid, reduce, and eliminate pollution from the global shipping sector. Shipping accounted for nearly 3% of global human-caused CO2 emissions in 2018 and roughly 11% of life-cycle transportation CO2 emissions in 2020. Between 2012 and 2018, shipping’s CO2 emissions grew 10%, according to the Fourth IMO Greenhouse Gas Study, which ICCT co-authored. Methane emissions grew 145% over the same period. This is due to rapid growth in the use of natural gas as a marine fuel. Without additional policy action, shipping’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to are expected to grow 16% from 2018 to 2030, and 50% by 2050. Aligning with the Paris Agreement temperature goals requires immediate reductions this decade and achieving zero emissions by 2040 or 2050. This can be achieved using a mix of new fuels and technologies, but this transition requires strong policy support from the United Nations International Maritime Organization and regional, national, and sub-national governments.

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