Briefing: Shipping GHGs and Copenhagen

The EU needs to be determined to take the lead and press for definitive action at Copenhagen on binding emissions reduction targets for shipping emissions and for a treaty agreement on standards and market-based measures to reduce ship emissions. Mere calls for IMO to act will be ineffective and risk the shipping emissions problem continuing to fester away for years. The EC has, since 2003, regularly threatened to take unilateral action on shipping because of IMO footdragging. Aviation will enter the EU ETS in 2012 but on shipping there has only been shifting deadlines – most recently Parliament and Council’s April 2009 co-decision setting yet another time limit, 2011, for IMO to act.