According to data from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the heavy polluting freight transport sector wants to be “part of the solution” for the transition to green transport, reports AFP.

“The delivery is ready for transfer. We will be part of the solution to make sure we are not left behind,” Guy Platten, secretary-general of the ICS, which claims to represent 80 percent of the world’s merchant fleet, told AFP in an interview.

A group of maritime industry and government representatives is due to meet at a summit coordinated by the ICS in Dubai on 10 December as part of COP28.

In July, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN body, unveiled an international agreement to decarbonize the sector, which pollutes more than air transport.

The agreement highlighted the sector’s ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and aims to reduce CO2 emissions by “at least 40% on average by 2030 compared to 2008”. The compromise also contains “indicative” (that is, non-binding) targets to reduce emissions of pollutants by at least 70% by 2040.

Environmental NGOs have been very critical, criticizing the lack of ambition in the sector. They hoped for a mandatory goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.

“Ammonia engines” / Nuclear power will be part of the equation

“It’s good to be able to talk about ambitions (…), but then we have to turn them into tangible actions. And I think that’s what we did,” insists Guy Platten.

According to ICS, innovation must be an integral part of the transition for this sector. In particular, the organization believes that there is a “critical” need for large-scale production of environmentally friendly fuel.

“We are currently testing ammonia engines,” which are less polluting, he explained, claiming that engines using the technology could enter service as early as next year.

Last September, Danish shipping giant Maersk unveiled the world’s first biomethanol-powered ship as part of its strategy to phase out diesel.

“I think nuclear power will be part of the equation,” Platten added.

In 15 years, “the number of ships has increased by 40%, but CO2 emissions have actually decreased by 14%,” he also noted, insisting that new ships on the market are much more energy efficient.