Shipping regulators have come up with a carefully worded package on carbon reduction aimed at pleasing all sides of the political debate on greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
After three days of negotiation, a working group at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which faces a Friday deadline to agree on a long-term carbon reduction programme, has tabled a tentative proposal that the shipping industry should aim to reduce carbon emissions by “at least” 50% on 2008 levels by 2050.
The deal is aimed at winning over the concerns the likes of Saudi Arabia, the United States and Brazil which were resistant to a more ambitious package.
At the same time the package does not rule out the possibility that shipping could go for a 100% reduction by 2050 a target which the European Union and Pacific island states already hit by climate change were hoping to achieve.
The deal awaits final approval by government representatives of IMO member states on Friday.
The Marshall Islands, which has been hit hard by climate change, has been pushing for an ambitious target to be set by the IMO, was cautious over the deal.
David Paul Marshall Islands Minister-in-Assistance-to-the-President and Environment, Republic of the Marshall Islands said: “We are close to doing the climate deal of the year – but we are not there yet.
"If I am going to be able to go home and look the Marshallese people in the eyes and say that this deal keeps a pathway to survival open for us, then we need a historic emissions cap for the industry and quantifiable targets that add up to what we agreed in Paris and that allow us to urgently transition to net zero emissions.
"The next 24 hours are crucial. There is still a real risk that we could leave London with no deal – and as the world’s second biggest ship registry I’ve made it clear we’ll walk away from the deal if it doesn’t add up." he said.
