Biden calls for IMO members to adopt climate change policy in shipping

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has asked world leaders to adopt climate change-friendly policies that support environmental justice measures to transition the international maritime shipping industry to low emissions or net zero.

“The international shipping sector contributes approximately three percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the sector’s emissions are only projected to increase,” notes remarks from the White House press office.

The president held a first-of-its-kind Leaders Summit on Climate last week, during which he introduced the United States federal government’s plan to reach 50 percent emissions reduction by 2030.

This would fulfill the country’s commitment to rejoin and ratify the benchmark Paris Climate Accords.

“In support of the global effort to keep within reach a 1.5 degree C limit on global average temperature increase, and in support of global efforts to achieve net-zero GHG emissions no later than 2050, the United States is committing to work with countries in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to adopt a goal of achieving zero emissions from international shipping by 2050 and to adopt ambitious measures that will place the sector on a pathway to achieve this goal,” notes the White House statement.