EU floats plan to track shipping emissions from 2013
The EU will start measuring shipping emissions from next year as a first step towards delivering a global solution for cutting the sector's climate change impact, BusinessGreen reports.
EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard and Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas today made the announcement in a joint emailed statement issued as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) meets for week-long talks in London that will encompass proposed market-based measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Commissioners said the proposed measurement regime would form the starting point for either a global mechanism for curbing emissions or the potential inclusion of shipping in the EU's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS).
"At EU level, we consider several options, including market-based mechanisms," the statement reads. "A simple, robust and globally-feasible approach towards setting a system for monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions based on fuel consumption is the necessary starting point.
"This will help make progress at global level and feed into the IMO process. It's therefore our joint intention to pursue such a monitoring, reporting and verification system in early 2013."
Shipping accounts for around three per cent of global emissions, but this is expected to rise to 18 per cent by 2050 if no limiting action is taken.
Last year the IMO agreed a series of mandatory energy-efficiency measures for new vessels, but the UN body recognises these will only cut emissions by around 23 per cent and shipping's output is likely to rise without further market-based measures, such as emissions trading or a levy on bunker fuel.
The IMO is under pressure to come up with an agreement after the EU launched a consultation earlier this year examining the impact of bringing shipping into EU ETS, alongside three other market-based policy options.
A final proposal was expected by the end of this year, but a Commission spokesman told BusinessGreen the release of the new plan would now be delayed until next year.
"We will put out this MRV proposal them follow with a [market-based mechanism] proposal," he said, adding the timing "depends on the outcome of the IMO [conference] and gaining experience with the MRV proposal".
The IMO's progress on plans to tackle emissions from the sector has been bogged down by a rift between developed and developing countries over the timescale for the introduction of any market-based carbon-pricing mechanism and whether or not poorer nations should be exempted.
But in their statement, the Commissioners hinted at a growing dissatisfaction with the sluggish proceedings.
"We are all working towards an internationally agreed global solution to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from ships," they said. "Discussions about further global measures are on-going at IMO level, but we need intermediary steps to quickly deliver emissions reductions, such as energy efficiency measures also for existing ships."