Shipping Must Ensure A 'Just Transition' In Light Of Net-Zero By 2050 Agreement - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
Shipping Must Ensure A ‘Just Transition’ In Light Of Net-Zero By 2050 Agreement | Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
Nautilus International, the UK’s largest maritime union, has welcomed agreement at the 80th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) that will see shipping emissions reduction target to net-zero by around 2050.
However, the union has warned that the impact of new technologies and alternative, cleaner fuels will have a major effect on the working lives of maritime professionals and has expressed the importance of ensuring that the agreement lives up to the stated ambitions of a just and equitable transition.
The 80th session of the MEPC at IMO HQ in London which adopted the shipping emissions agreement. Image: IMO/Flickr
Nautilus is calling for a just transition for maritime professionals that includes: future proofing skills and training; securing safety of those onboard; and protecting and enhancing jobs, pay and conditions.
Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson said: “This agreement is a significant step in the right direction for regulating greenhouse gas emissions within shipping, a crucial component of the action against climate change.
Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson
“We are pleased to see several mentions of the need for a just transition within the adopted strategy, but further urgent action is needed. The race to develop alternative fuels and new technologies will have a significant impact on the working lives of those onboard and respect for the voice of maritime professionals is key to delivering a just and equitable transition.
“It is imperative that alongside targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions there is a global effort to ensure a transition that is just and equitable by future proofing skills and training, ensuring there are no compromises in safety and protecting and enhancing jobs, pay and conditions.
“This transition must be more than just technological or alternative fuels, it offers an opportunity to build a maritime industry fit for the future that truly values the work and dedication of maritime professionals – the lifeblood of the global economy.”
Source: Nautilus International
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”