UN chief applauds IMO steps to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from int'l shipping

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the steps agreed upon by the members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to address greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping.

While welcoming these important steps that had been agreed upon Friday, the secretary-general called for "urgent and ambitious action to limit the greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

"Emissions from maritime transport are projected to rise significantly given the critical role that shipping plays in the global economy," the statement said.

The IMO steps include efforts to limit sulfur emissions, a mandatory data system for fuel consumption, strengthened implementation of energy-efficiency regulations, and a road map for a comprehensive IMO strategy on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships to be developed by 2023.

"The secretary-general calls on IMO members in partnership with the maritime industry to promote further progress on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships to contribute to the objective of the Paris Agreement on climate change, which enters into force on 4 November 2016," the statement said.

Shipping emissions are predicted to increase between 50 percent and 250 percent by 2050 -- depending on future economic and energy developments.

This is not compatible with the internationally agreed goal of keeping the global temperature increase to below two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, which requires worldwide emissions to be at least halved from 1990 levels by 2050. Endi