MPs attack shipping industry's 'irresponsible' inaction on emissions

International Maritime Organisation also criticised as 'not fit for purpose' by Commons committee

John Vidal, environment editor
guardian.co.uk, Monday 1 June 2009 16.21 BST

The international shipping industry has acted irresponsibly in failing to address rapidly growing climate change emissions and the UN body that governs it is "not fit for purpose", according to an influential group of MPs.
Showing clear impatience at continuing lack of progress in cutting emissions, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee said: "There can be no excuse for the lack of progress within the International Maritime Organisation since the Kyoto protocol was signed [in 2005]. That the IMO has yet to reach agreement even over the type of emissions control regime to take forward, let alone decide any details, suggests it is not fit for purpose in this vital area. None of the obstacles … [are] insurmountable. It is perfectly feasible to track the emissions of individual ships."
In addition, said the MPs, the government does not even know what Britain's share of global shipping emissions is and no one has accurately calculated the world total.
While other industries and many rich countries have been given targets and timetables to reduce emissions and are expected to trade carbon if they cannot reduce their own emissions, the shipping industry has escaped national and international legislation. According to an IMO study released in April on greenhouse gas emissions, levels are projected to double or even triple, unless measures to curb them are introduced.
"The emission of greenhouse gases from shipping is a serious problem for international climate change policy. They are growing and there is a risk of considerable delay before they are brought under control. It is no longer acceptable to argue that it is to hard to find an adequate basis for dealing with shipping emissions," said the report, which accepts an estimate that global emissions are around 3% of global CO2 emissions — more than the UK or Canada.
Launching the report, Reducing CO2 and other Emissions from Shipping, committee chairman, Tim Yeo MP, said: "We deplore the prevarication that has prevented global agreement on how to reduce emissions from international shipping. The industry accepts the seriousness of climate change but has taken little or no action to cut its own emissions in absolute terms. Meanwhile the government has failed to give this issue the attention it deserves.
"Emissions from shipping cannot be allowed to continue escalating in an uncontrolled manner. The UK needs to show more determined leadership on climate change issues within the International Maritime Organisation," he added.
The government has admitted that the current calculation of the UK's share of international shipping emissions was "an underestimate", the report from the EAC report said. "If the UK's share of these emissions lies at the upper end of the government's range of estimates then, overall, UK carbon emissions might not have gone down at all since 1990."
It also recommended that the government:
• Include shipping emissions in the EU's climate change reduction targets.
• Clarify its position on the use of emission trading for shipping.
• Accelerate research into low and zero-carbon propulsion systems.
• Consult on how to improve methods for calculating the UK's share of shipping emissions.
The IMO's April report suggested specific measures the industry could introduce to reduce emissions. These included operational measures that would increase efficiency and lead to emissions cuts of 25% to 75%. It also considered technical factors such as towing kites, speed reductions and upgrades to hulls, engines and propellers.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "The government is committed to reducing the impact of transport on the environment, and tackling emissions from shipping is a key part of this. We agree with the Environmental Audit Committee that the problem of carbon emissions needs to be tackled globally."
Last week, the transport secretary, Geoff Hoon, confirmed to the International Transport Forum that the government would be pressing for international shipping emissions to be included in a new climate change deal at Copenhagen in December