The European Commission has launched an online public consultation on possible measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships. All interested stakeholders can send their contributions until 12 April 2012.
The European Union (EU) has committed itself to reducing total GHG emissions by 2020 by at least 20% across all sectors. The 2008 legislation provides that the European Commission should make a proposal to include international maritime emissions in the EU reduction commitment if no international agreement was approved before the end of 2011 which included such emissions.
Despite significant efforts in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), there has been only limited progress to date on the necessary technical, operational and market-based measures for new and existing ships. The European Commission will continue to support further efforts of these organizations for the development of global measures. The European Parliament and the Member States have therefore repeatedly called on the European Commission to take action if there is no international agreement.
International maritime transport emissions account for approximately 3% of global CO2 emissions and they are expected to more than double by 2050 if no additional action is taken. The introduction of measures to cut emissions will also reduce fuel consumption, thus bringing down transportation costs. Such action will also stimulate demand for low carbon maritime equipment and services.