Hybrid Living

The United Nation's International Maritime Organization member countries voted to approve set CO2 emissions standards on new ships starting in 2019 and also agreed to having the worldwide shipping industry improve energy efficiency by 30 percent by 2024.

For the 60,000 existing ships operating today, less aggressive efficiency improvements will also be required.  If these new rules are followed, CO2 emissions from shipping could be slashed by as much as 50 million tons by 2020.

Five member countries voted against the new measures:  China, Brazil, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Chile.

The one part that could be the downfall of this agreement is that it allows developing countries to apply for a waiver from the restrictions, which could lead to shipping companies registering new ships in those countries in order to avoid complying with the emissions and efficiency rules.  But with the shipping industry accounting for 3 percent of all human-caused emissions, we have to start somewhere.

via Yale e360