Greens take aim at fuel standard fudge factors
Exempting emissions between developing countries’ ports would render the scheme pointless, IMO told
The Clean Shipping Coalition has taken aim at emissions correction factors proposed by Angola, Brazil and Norway for an IMO green fuel standard, saying they would undermine the regulation’s power to cut shipping emissions
A FUDGE factor some big oil exporters want included in shipping’s upcoming green fuel standard would hobble the regulation, greens have warned.
Countries at the International Maritime Organization have mostly agreed on the need for such a standard — which would broadly resemble Europe’s FuelEU Maritime regulation in intent — if not the details.
IMO documents reveal disagreements over the GFS’ potential scope and severity as states try to balance cost with reducing emissions in line with the 2023 GHG Strategy.
Angola, Argentina, Brazil, China, Norway, South Africa, the UAE and Uruguay last year proposed an “f-voy correction factor” (ISW-GHG 17/2/7) that would exempt 50% of greenhouse gas emissions on certain voyages serving “eligible ports of developing countries”.
But analysis by green group the Clean Shipping Coalition found exempting 50% of emissions from voyages between developing country ports would shield almost 80m tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year.
“Incorporation of such a voyage correction factor risks rendering the ability of the GFS to deliver on the emissions reduction objectives of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy meaningless,” the CSC said in a submission (ISW-GHG 18/2/8).
Transport & Environment shipping programme director Faig Abbasov said in a social media post: “Given that about 60% of international shipping emissions involve trips to developing countries, an indiscriminate “f-voy” risks exempting above 330m tonnes CO2e — 34% of the total emissions.”
The CSC noted that the fuel standard already excludes emissions from ships below 5,000 gt, which have historically accounted for around 15% of international shipping emissions.
Adding Angola’s proposed correction factor would mean more than a quarter of current international shipping emissions — some 210m tonnes of CO2e — would be exempted. Further such exemptions could push this to 330m tonnes of CO2e.
Exempting half or all of emissions between ports in small island developing states, or between ports in the poorest countries, would amount to only 2.2m to 4.3m tonnes of CO2e respectively.
But applying the same exemption to voyages to and from those ports and the wider world would push up the total emissions exempted to about 67m tonnes.
The CSC added this did account for other emissions from ships, who could try rerouting to ports that benefited from the exemptions.
The IMO’s greenhouse gas working group will meet to discuss the competing proposals from February 17-21.