The United Kingdom pleaded on Monday for the reduction to zero of maritime transport emissions at the global level by 2050. “It would be a significant increase in the ambition of a sector which today represents 3% of global emissions. The Ministry of Transport said in a statement, adding that such an objective should be adopted through the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized UN organization based in London.
Modest progress in June
At the end of a week of negotiations, the IMO had already adopted in June new rules aimed at reducing pollution caused by ships, but progress was considered modest by NGOs.
The members of the organization had thus recorded an 11% reduction in the carbon intensity of ships between 2023 and 2026 and no objective had been set for the years 2027-2030.
This moderate position was supported by a large number of states including China, Argentina, Chile, the United Arab Emirates, India, Panama, and Singapore.
Greening the entire transport sector
The United Kingdom's announcement comes as the International Maritime Transport Week opens on Monday in the British capital, an event aimed at shipping professionals and which London wants to place under the sign of sustainable development.
The country also hopes to see “zero emission” ships enter commercial service in its waters by 2025.
The United Kingdom - also organizer in November in Glasgow of the COP26 - had unveiled in July a roadmap to green transport, with in particular the ban in 2040 of the sale of new gasoline and diesel trucks.
For air transport, the government has set itself the goal of achieving carbon neutrality for domestic flights and all airports in England by 2040, and for international flights by 2050.
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