Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

August 28, the current international trade is heavily dependent on ocean transport, and cargo ships using fossil fuels are emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases. In order to reduce carbon emissions and slow the rate of global warming, future ocean transportation may rely more on clean energy such as wind, nuclear and electricity.

The shipping industry accounts for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and produces as much carbon dioxide as all coal-fired power plants in the United States combined. Nevertheless, in the transport industry, which accounts for 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the proportion of emissions from the shipping industry is still not high.

However, as international trade continues to grow and relies heavily on ocean-going ships to transport goods, many scientists warn that shipping could account for 17 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. At present, more than 80% of the goods are transported by ocean-going ships.

To that end, after years of ineffective decarbonization efforts, regulators in the shipping industry are stepping in. In 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a London-based UN agency, set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent from 2008 levels by 2050.

But critics say the goal is too small and too late to achieve. They insist that the IMO should reset its goal of achieving 100 per cent decarbonization by the middle of the century, the sooner the better.

Lucy Gilliam (Lucy Gilliam), director of shipping policy at Seas at Risk, a non-governmental environmental group, and a board member of the Clean Shipping Alliance, said: "the International Maritime Organization has been involved rather late in formulating climate measures and strategies."

She also mentioned that the Paris Climate Agreement did not include international shipping. In addition, a recent study found that of the 94 largest shipping companies, only 33 made it clear that they would achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or were committed to helping to achieve the goals set by the International Maritime Organization.

Nevertheless, the private sector is taking action to mitigate its impact on the climate. The simplest solution is to slow down ships, thereby reducing carbon emissions. Shipbuilders are also experimenting with bubbling the hull to reduce drag, using smoother bows, more efficient engines, propellers and thrusters, and introducing artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted navigation systems.

At the same time, the shipping industry is beginning to establish "green corridors", specific shipping routes and ports that support zero-emission solutions and policies. The financial community has also joined the decarbonization campaign, with 29 institutions signing the Poseidon principles, which will take into account their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when lending to shipping companies. The signatories represent more than $185 billion in international shipping loans, accounting for almost half of the financing of the global shipbuilding industry.

But because the global supply chain is designed for fast delivery, many major breakthroughs are betting on the development of low-or zero-emission fuels, including environmentally friendly methanol, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and ammonia, to reduce or replace the fossil fuels used by most of the ship's large diesel engines.

These efforts include power, wind and nuclear propulsion technologies. Among them, since the mid-1950s, many naval vessels have adopted nuclear energy and have attracted attention because of their zero-emission characteristics, despite safety concerns.

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