01NOV2019 - NEWS - Shipping industry must act to meet emissions targets, path unclear

Maritime shipping, which represents about 90% of international trade, accounts for 2.2% of global carbon dioxide emissions

Immediate action is required if the global shipping industry is to meet a target of halving its carbon emissions by the middle of the century, but how to achieve this remains unclear, a report showed on Thursday.

Maritime shipping, which represents about 90 per cent of international trade, accounts for 2.2 per cent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The U.N.'s International Maritime Organization (IMO) has a goal to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 per cent from 2008 levels by 2050.

To achieve the IMO target, "alternative fuels will be needed, based on renewable sources and production methods, to provide low- or even zero-carbon solutions," said the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in a report released at the Global Maritime Forum in Singapore.