It will take nuclear energy for global shipping to hit net zero
One of the last bastions of industry where carbon emissions go largely unregulated may be about to fall. Shipping—which consumes about 5% of the world’s oil and emits about 3% of its greenhouse gases—is edging toward a net-zero target. The International Maritime Organization, the United Nations body that oversees the industry, is meeting in London this week to strengthen measures to reduce its carbon footprint over the coming decades.
Rich countries are supporting a carbon tax on shipping, backed by the Marshall Islands, operator of one of the largest ship registries and one of the world’s most low-lying island states. A draft agreement would commit the sector to net-zero emissions in 2050, Bloomberg News reported last week. The globe’s biggest exporter China, meanwhile, is attempting to rally developing countries to block tighter measures.
The shipping industry has a genuine problem getting from its current planned 50% reduction to net zero. Ships are so vast and spend so long away from port that the technologies used to green power plants and cars won’t cut it. Only the smallest, short-haul ferries are likely to be able to run on batteries, let alone solar.
Wind power is too unpredictable and scarce to meet the needs of modern commerce, despite the regular release of exciting concept designs. An ocean line maximizes its productivity by sending its ships on direct routes far from favourable winds, to set schedules that can’t be paused when the sea is becalmed. The small number of wind-assisted ships under construction are likely to make far less impact in greenhouse terms than, say, making rudders more aerodynamic.
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