Shipping’s climate impact up by 10% in six years, says IMO study

Shipping’s climate impact has increased 10% in just six years, according to a study released by the IMO. If no measures are taken, the study estimates that carbon pollution from ships could increase by up to 50% by 2050. Namely shipping’s methane emissions grew by 150% in the last six years due to the increased deployment of LNG ships, the study finds.

It also reveals the weakness of the IMO’s 40% carbon intensity reduction target, as three-quarters of the targeted improvements had already been achieved before the goal was even adopted in 2018. The IMO has instigated a Data Collection System, requiring reporting of ship’s annual fuel consumption and distance travelled, starting from 2019. However, after the deadline for 2019 submissions, IMO had collected less than 90% of the eligible ship’s reported data. Read more: Safety 4 Sea