Thirteen additional countries supported a global carbon levy on shipping at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) climate talks in London the past week. However, its adoption still seems to be a long way off.
These are Dominica, Georgia, Grenada, Kiribati, Malawi, Mexico, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Senegal, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, and Türkiye, according to delegates at the talks.
The countries said they align themselves on the issue with 48 states from the Caribbean, the Pacific, Africa, Asia and Europe—a majority of the world’s shipping fleet—agreeing a future levy should be in the price range of $18-150/tonne of greenhouse gas.
“While we’re confident that IMO Member States will meet the ambitious timeline they set themselves, ISWG-GHG 18 showed how much progress is still needed on some key issues, in particular the economic measure. We saw strong support this week from over 50 countries, several speaking for the first time, for a levy or contribution that places a price on all of shipping’s GHG emissions,” Blánaid Sheeran, Policy Officer, Climate Diplomacy, Opportunity Green, commented.
“In spite of this, there remains a serious risk that a strong pricing mechanism that prioritises justice and equity will not be adopted. It’s crucial that Member States stand by their commitment to promote a just and equitable transition for international shipping.”
In parallel to carbon pricing, governments also negotiate on a global fuel standard (GFS), aimed at driving up the use of zero-emission energy on ships to effectively fully power the sector by 2050.
Ahead of this week’s discussion, Transport & Environment and +60 conservation NGOs called against the inclusion of biofuels in the shipping’s future energy mix. The organizations explained that biofuels cause ‘devastating’ impacts on climate, communities, forests and other ecosystems and therefore cannot be part of the solution to the climate crisis.
Key questions regarding the exact price, scope, and revenue distribution of the levy, as well as the details of the GFS, still remain to be resolved.
This week’s discussion lends further political momentum to get a carbon levy finalized in April and adopted in October at the IMO, which would be the world’s first universal fee on an international polluter.
A deal at the IMO would revitalize international co operation and multilateralism at the UN fora and ahead of the COP.
source: shipandbunker.com
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