Towards the IMO’s GHG Goals: A Critical Overview of the Perspectives and Challenges of the Main Options for Decarbonizing International Shipping

Abstract

The Initial Strategy on reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2018 commits the IMO to reduce total GHG emissions of shipping by at least 50% by 2050. Though the direction of the Strategy is clear, the path to implementation remains uncertain. The ambitious IMO’s target calls for widespread uptake of lower and zero-carbon fuels, in addition to other energy efficiency measures, including operational and market ones. Using a triangulated research approach, this paper provides a critical overview of the main measures and initiatives the shipping industry can adopt to try to cope with the new IMO’s requirements. The pros and cons of the most popular emission reduction options are investigated along with the main challenges and barriers to implementation and the potential facilitators that could foster a wider application. The framework that is outlined is complex and not without controversy. Research can play a key role as a facilitator of shipping’s decarbonization by providing its contribution to overcoming the existing controversies on various decarbonization options and by developing a wealth of knowledge that can encourage the implementation of low-carbon initiatives.

The Role of Research and Innovation in Europe for the Decarbonisation of Waterborne Transport

“…The final step of projects identification and categorisation is based on a literature review [6,10,12,36,37]. It leads to the definition of 5 sub-themes:…”

“…Waterborne transport represents 14.1% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by the European transport sector in 2018 [2], which is slightly more than European aviation (13.2%). Considering its fundamental importance to the European economy and its global nature, effort is needed to reduce its environmental impact [5,6]. To date, EU legislation and international agreements have focused on pollution reductions; however, emphasis on reducing GHG emissions has substantially increased recently, in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal [7].…”

Performance assessment of alternative SSS networks by combining KPIs and factor-cluster analysis

“…service quality, to account for the importance of time-related attributes that are normally considered by the shippers [12]; economic effectiveness, to account for cost aspects that may be indicative of the economic sustainability of maritime services; environmental sustainability, to account for environmental considerations that are today crucial in the assessment of maritime transport systems [59].…”

“…Two cornerstones of this roadmap are the adoption of the Initial IMO Strategy to halve total GHG emissions of shipping by 2050, and the introduction of the IMO Global Sulphur Cap which, from 1 January 2020, has reduced to 0.50% (mass by mass) the limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on ships outside Emission Control Areas. The emission reduction targets set by the IMO are very ambitious and will require the shipping industry to implement substantial changes in fuels, technologies and operations [59]. To account for the importance of environmental aspects in the definition of transport policies and related initiatives, the following indicator for CO 2 emissions is included in the analysis:…”

Review of the Design and Technology Challenges of Zero-Emission, Battery-Driven Fast Marine Vehicles

“…Responding to the urgent needs for drastic reduction of toxic (Toxic or green-house gas emissions GHG: emission of carbon dioxide CO 2 , nitrogen oxides NOX, sulfur oxides SOX and PM particulate matter) gas emissions from marine operations in line with the ambitious targets set by the International Maritime Organization in 2018, namely to reduce CO 2 emissions per transport work, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008; and to reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 whilst pursuing efforts towards phasing them out as called for in the Vision as a point on a pathway of CO 2 emissions reduction consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals, a series of research and development works were initiated in the maritime sector for the ships designed and built today and operating in the next decades to fit future environmental requirements (see [1] and review [2]). The above developments refer to international shipping and large seagoing ships that form the bulk of the world fleet and determine the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels of maritime operations now and in the years to come [3].…”