THE shipping industry is sailing against the tide by introducing global mandatory carbon dioxide standards -an industrial first. But the deal, agreed last week, applies only from 2019 - and there are no plans to extend the rules to existing ships. The agreement reached at the UN's International Maritime Organization comes after years of negotiations. It is a rare step forward for climate negotiators at a time when an overall deal on global carbon emissions looks ever more remote. The deal requires all new ships above 400 tonnes and delivered after 2015 to improve their energy efficiency by 10 per cent. The target rises to 30 per cent by 2024. However, developing nations can apply for a waiver until 2019. The IMO said that if no waivers applied, the deal could reduce emissions by between 45 and 50 million tonnes a year by 2020. But a coalition of environmental groups, the Clean Shipping Coalition, warned the agreement may result in new ships registering with countries that get a waiver.
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