Reducing shipping’s climate impact

A shipping boat traveling through the ocean.

As the world’s sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter, the shipping sector must dramatically reduce its use of fossil fuels — and soon — if we’re to have a chance to keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement.

Greenhouse gas emissions from ships are projected to increase by up to 50% by 2050, and time is running out. The shipping industry must do its fair share in the fight against climate change, while ensuring the protection of our ecosystems and communities, especially those at greater risk for health and economic impacts.

To reduce these harmful emissions, the international community is well positioned to build on the International Maritime Organization’s commitments and design measures that can lead to the industry’s full decarbonization by 2050.

This requires taking a hard look at the safety of alternative shipping fuels — like ammonia and hydrogen — implementing a well-designed global greenhouse gas pricing mechanism and enforcing a global labeling program to measure the carbon intensity of ships and track emissions more accurately.

EDF is committed to making the IMO’s short-term and mid-term measures a success to meet interim targets and make the sector’s transition away from fossil fuels as efficient as possible by bringing relevant scientific knowledge and research to IMO, serving as a trusted partner and advisor to Member States and industry, and working with industry partners to ensure their projects are scientifically sound and minimize impacts of fuels on the climate, human health and the environment.