School pupils were on strike in London at the end of last week angry about perceived inaction by politicians on climate change.
They were inspired by the actions of the 16-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg — now nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
A week earlier, one of the city's roads was blocked by activists from Extinction Rebellion protesting about the lack of urgency over global warming.
The ruling political party on the city council voted later to target zero carbon by 2030, bringing forward a previous target date of 2050.
It was hard not to feel the often-grey haired councillors of my generation had been “called out” by the young.
'Climate emergency'
Indeed, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also recently declared a “climate emergency” and his London Assembly has called for a 2030 cap.
The UK's Bristol and California's Berkeley have done similar, while Copenhagen says it is on track for zero carbon by 2025.
Last week, the Paris-based International Energy Agency said that the speed of decarbonisation through the uptake of electric cars and other changes means global peak oil could be expected in 2025.
This is a big shift from the mid-2030s figures used by BP and others. Shipping is no doubt aware this has all sorts of implications for the industry — and not just the tanker sector.
The IMO is still aiming for a relatively modest target of 50% CO2 cuts by 2050. This will probably have to be reassessed and increased even though the current goal will be difficult to achieve
The IMO is still aiming for a relatively modest target of 50% CO2 cuts by 2050. This will probably have to be reassessed and increased even though the current goal will be difficult to achieve.
The maritime world is clearly at a very early stage in trying to find non-fossil fuel methods of propulsion.
IKEA trial
It was interesting to see Swedish-founded furniture group IKEA trialling a bio-fuelled vessel, operated by CMA CGM and helped by the Port of Rotterdam, as part of a plan to cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by 70% come 2030.
The ship will be running on heavy fuel oil derived from forest residues and waste cooking oil. It is claimed this 100% green product could deliver 80% to 90% well-to-propeller carbon reductions.
Biofuels themselves have their critics except where they have been obtained from secondary processes or synthetic materials.
Ambitious ideas
Even more ambitious ideas were revealed by the IMO itself this week in a new study by the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection.
This outlines a variety of ways in which geo-engineering could be used at sea to take carbon out of the atmosphere and, say, store it as a liquid on the seabed.
The report warns that large-scale manipulation of the marine environment could have wide impacts — potentially negative as well as positive.
It is, therefore, important that the right policy frameworks are put in place for the public to understand what is being done.
My view is that one danger about futuristic technology fixes is that they can be seen as a solve-all and become a substitute and excuse for doing nothing in the meantime
My view is that one danger about futuristic technology fixes is that they can be seen as a solve-all and become a substitute and excuse for doing nothing in the meantime.
The shipping industry needs to concentrate on its own decarbonisation through a massive research and development effort into areas such as fuel cells and electric propulsion.
In the meantime, the industry needs to adapt and accept a smaller but more imminent change: low-sulphur fuels from 2020.
Muddying the waters
Helping to muddy the waters of low sulphur and the wider action against climate change is, of course, US President Donald Trump.
He wants to slow down implementation of the IMO sulphur rules and has been using Twitter to promote the view that global warming is “fake science”.
He is wrong, and against him is an unlikely grouping of the World Shipping Council and oil companies, including ExxonMobil and BP, known as the Coalition for American Energy Security.
This group is arguing for full January implementation of sulphur regulations, saying the US oil industry is ready to meet the challenge.
Trump’s real worry is that oil and bunker prices will rise in the run up to his attempted re-election in November 2020.
That kind of thinking would rightly appal Greta Thunberg and the striking school pupils. The younger generation is making a lot of noise and shipping needs to show it is listening — and acting.
