The global shipping industry burned about 2.2 percent of total CO2 emissions, and carried around 80 percent of global trade.
The largest maritime shipping company, Maersk, is steadily giving up fossil fuels. Maersk aims to make carbon neutral vessels commercially viable by 2030 by using energy sources such as biofuels. By 2050, Maersk will cut its carbon emissions completely.
Maritime shipping plays a crucial role to the world economy because more than 80 percent of global trade is carried out by maritime transport. Until now, the most cost-efficient way to carry massive merchandises and raw materials to all over the world is still maritime transport. However, the shipping industry is the heavily-polluting source for environment.
In 2017, Maersk's greenhouse gas emissions was equivalent to 35.5 million tons of CO2. Most of the emissions were from Maersk's container business, according to Maersk's renewable development report.
The shipping industry is heavily polluting. If it were a country, it would be the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter, according to a United Nation's report. The shipping industry takes around 3% of the world's emissions. Maersk accounts for 20% of the world's maritime freighting.
International shipping usually uses "bunker fuel" that will lead to issues beyond greenhouse gas emissions. This type of fuel has sulfur content that is 3,500 times higher than gas used in diesel cars. Sulfur generates smog and is precursor to ozone. Sulfur is related to multiple health problems, such as asthma, heart disease, and pregnancy complications.
Maersk has invested about US $1 billion and hired more than 50 engineers to proactively develop energy-efficient solutions for years. Maersk reduced total carbon emissions by 46 percent against a 2007 baseline.
Maersk expressed that "The only possible way to achieve the so-much-needed de-carbonization in our industry is by fully transforming to new carbon neutral fuels and supply chains."
The great goal set by Maersk matches the United Nations' International Maritime Organization's strategy. This strategy calls its 173 member countries to cut emissions by half from the 2008 levels by 2050.
Maersk pointed out, a ship's life cycle is 20~25 years. This means that now shipping industry must begin to develop new types of ships that will be used in 2050, in order to achieve decarbonized solutions. While Maersk is leading the de-carbonization technology, the maritime sector is experiencing sluggish demand. Other competitors in the industry might feel very challenging to invest more to develop the de-carbonization technologies.
(Article by TechNews; Image credit: Ruth Hartnup via Flickr CC BY 2.0)