image: Fig. 1 Global CO2 emissions from shipping 2000–2021. The lines represent historical CO2 emissions (Mt yr−1) from the emission inventories listed in Table 1, and the bars represent the ratios of variances between above emission inventories to their average values
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https://doi.org/10.1007/s44312-023-00001-2
Announcing a new publication for Marine Development journal. In this research article the authors Shiyu Deng and Zhifu Mi from Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, United Kingdom review carbon emissions from global shipping.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from shipping account for about 3% of total annual anthropocentric CO2 emissions and are assumed to increase markedly without mitigation measures. Following the introduction of the net-zero emissions target, the large uncertainties and challenges of a low-carbon transition in the shipping industry have raised concerns in the scientific community.
The authors of this article present a compressive review of CO2 emission inventories for the shipping industry, examines the historical CO2 emission trends and associated estimation uncertainties due to different methodologies, and further discusses the CO2 reduction measures and potential published in the literature.
The findings show that there are significant differences in historical CO2 emission trends due to uncertainties in estimation methods and the scope of the study. In contrast, IMO ship-based emission inventory estimates are higher, while CAMS-GLOB-SHIP v3.1 provides high-resolution information. The bottom-up life cycle approach is more favorable for using geospatial information to monitor and manage emission reductions across the industry.
CO2 emissions from global shipping returned to prepandemic levels by 2021, which indicate that it is urgent to improve energy efficiency so that seaborne trade can be decoupled from carbon emissions, thereby achieving a net zero carbon emissions target for the shipping industry. For mitigating CO2 emissions from shipping, emission source control and emission process control measures could offer 50–60% reduction potential, leaving 40–50% abatement responsibility to be shouldered by zero-carbon fuels, CCUS, and out-of-industry transfers. In detail, increasing the use of shore power and accelerating the piloting of electric boats are vital for medium- and long-term adoption of new energy. The increase in the proportion of electric ships is supposed to contribute the most to CO2 emission reduction, followed by ship enlargement, ship elimination, shore power use and operational energy efficiency.
In addition to the widely discussed economic and technological feasibility, net-zero emissions in the shipping industry still face many constraints and challenges. One of the challenges is to avoid the side effects of decarbonization measures, such as fugitive methane from LNG utilization and PAHs exhaustion from CCUS. Another challenge is to guarantee navigation safety when considering zero-carbon but chemically unstable fuels. An international standard and framework for the use of hydrogen and ammonia require to be developed to provide guidance on how to properly store and burn these alternative fuels. Meanwhile, the adoption of global ETs should safeguard the wellbeing of the crew, and the free emissions quota percentage (FEQP) and the carbon trading price (CTP), international management should be further discussed. The importance of international cooperation for green corridors should also be further emphasized, and more coastal countries should be called upon to participate in the co-construction of clean power berths.
Article reference: Deng, S., Mi, Z. A review on carbon emissions of global shipping. Mar Dev 1, 4 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44312-023-00001-2
Keywords: Shipping emissions, Carbon dioxide, Abatement measures, Net-zero target
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Marine Development aims to publish research papers in all relevant disciplines related to the ocean and the sea. Its scope spans diverse domains, including but not limited to marine resource management, marine environmental conservation, marine biodiversity, fisheries management, marine energy, marine policy, and international maritime law. The journal particularly values research that explores the complex links between marine issues and broader global challenges, such as climate change, sustainable economic development, and international cooperation. As a platform for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, the journal will enable scholars to communicate their research and promote interdisciplinary research that advances our understanding of marine issues. It welcomes original research with a multidisciplinary focus and also encourages review articles that highlight the latest research trends and those with significant global impacts.
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