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The European Commission
has launched an online public consultation on possible measures
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
All interested stakeholders
can send their contributions until 12 April 2012.
The EU committed
itself to reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 2020
by at least 20% across all sectors. The 2008 legislation provides
that, if no international agreement was approved which included
international maritime emissions before the end of 2011, the
Commission should make a proposal to include these in the
EU reduction commitment.
Despite significant
efforts in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), there has been only limited progress to-date on
the necessary technical, operational and market-based measures
for new and existing ships. The European Commission will continue
to support further works in these organisations for the development
of global measures.
The European
Parliament and the Member States have, therefore, repeatedly
called on the European Commission to take action if there
is no international agreement.
International
maritime transport emissions already account for approximately
3% of global CO2
emissions and they are expected to more than double by 2050
if no additional action is taken. The introduction of measures
to cut emissions will also limit fuel consumption - reducing
ships fuel bills by many billions of euros each year - and
hence bring down transport costs. Such action will also stimulate
demand for 'low carbon' maritime equipment and services.
For more information -
- Public consultation on addressing greenhouse gas emissions
- Click
Here
- Shipping and climate change - Click
Here
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