Report says maritime industry must follow aviation’s footsteps on switch to biofuels

In the UK, the international shipping industry will fail to tackle their global greenhouse gas emissions unless they put in place rules that truly reflect the climate impact of shipping fuels, according to a report released by Environmental Defense Fund and University Maritime Advisory Services. As the International Maritime Organization meets for informal discussions on greenhouse gases this week, this report explores whether the processes for delivering rules for sustainable marine fuels can be sped up using lessons learnt from aviation, a sector facing similar challenges in transitioning to sustainable alternative fuels.

The report considers how Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) or Eligible Fuels elements of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO’s) market-based climate program, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), could be adopted in the context of shipping. The analysis shows that ICAO’s SAF framework offers a solid blueprint for the shipping sector. The report also identifies areas where the IMO should be more ambitious than ICAO to ensure that shipping transitions away from fossil fuels.