Leading European Union politicians have been warned against involving shipping in a future European emissions trading scheme by the industry’s leading regulator.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary general Kitack Lim wrote to European Parliament president Martin Schulz, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, over his concerns about the proposed inclusion of shipping in a European emissions trading scheme (ETS).
Lim believes that such a regional move could harm the IMO’s attempts to reduce emissions globally.
He wrote: “I am concerned that a final decision to extend the EU-ETS to shipping emissions would not only be premature but would seriously impact on the work of IMO to address GHG emissions from international shipping. Inclusion of emissions from ships in the EU-ETS significantly risks undermining efforts on a global level."
His letter comes in response to the European Parliament Environmental Committee’s recommendation late last year that shipping should be included in a European emissions trading scheme from 2023.
The IMO has been stepping up its efforts to reduce shipping’s carbon emissions. It has agreed an international monitoring reporting and verification scheme for shipping and drawn up a road map for emissions reduction in line with the Paris Agreement.
The International Chamber of Shipping has also recently voiced its concern over including shipping in a European ETS.
