Originally published in EurActiv on the 6th December 2024
The frenzy for the perfect holiday gift has begun, with goods shipped around the ocean to meet demand. Amid climate disasters, can shipping drive the shift to a sustainable future?
With shopping traffic increased by 46% during the week of the 2023 Black Friday, a One Planet Shipping vision, looking at a future for shipping that prioritises the well-being of people and the planet first and foremost, comes at a critical time.
A recent UMAS report reveals shipping’s global greenhouse gas emissions are rising, despite the adoption of the United Nations International Maritime Organization’s 2023 decarbonisation strategy.
At the same time, the Copernicus climate change service confirms that 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record and the first to surpass 1.5°C. Our world is changing fast.
Extreme weather events happening around the globe – from devastating floods in north-west and north-central Africa to destructive tropical cyclones in the United States, and Storm Boris wreaking havoc across Europe – underscore the need for us to change with it.
Trade is the epicentre of our society and has brought millions out of poverty. It helps close the income gap and builds international supply chains where countries rely on each other.
However, the EU and the shipping sector, an enabler of global trade, needs to evolve to play its part to help tackle the climate crisis and build a fairer and more sustainable future.
The EUs role in a just transition
At the November hearing of Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the new European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism, we heard about the upcoming EU port strategy, and the push for ‘different’ fuels to decarbonise transport.
Tzitzikostas acknowledged a critical paradox: maritime climate goals must keep Europe connected to the world while ensuring climate sustainability. However shipping emissions continue to rise, and even more so in the fragile Arctic region.
Snowy images of Santa tucked away in his workshop may soon give way to a less romantic reality of cargo vessels plowing through the Arctic ice, leaving a trail of black soot in their wake. EU shipping is responsible for over 70% of this traffic.
A bold EU port strategy is essential, as well as adopting strong energy efficiency measures in the 2027 revision of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation. They must incentivise the uptake of wind propulsion in vessels to cut carbon emissions and reimagine the development of ports as centres for sustainability and regional resilience.
Circular economy starts at the shore
Our coastlines are home to approximately 28% of the global population, around 11% of which live on land that is less than 10 meters above sea level. As climate inaction sees oceans rising, and coastal communities becoming increasingly vulnerable due to storm flooding and tidal surges, ports can play an important role in climate mitigation and adaptation.
Traditionally seen as the mecca of trade, ports could become the heartbeat of a circular economy – reducing waste, promoting equality and showing the world what a just transition to a sustainable future could look like.
Shortening supply chains and increasing regionalisation and localisation of trade could cut the length of voyages, while boosting economic opportunities for companies and communities closer to home
Building a sustainable future
By transforming the maritime industry through the uptake of wind propulsion, creating a strong EU port strategy and rethinking its supply chains, the EU can reduce its maritime emissions, and show the world what is possible while leaving no community behind.
Posted on: 16 December 2024
