Emission control areas and their impact on maritime transport

摘要

The globalisation of trade which has occurred over the past few decades would not have been able to occur without the shipping industry. During this time, the price of shipping services has decreased, thanks to a combination of ever-larger ships and the development of intermodal supply chains. Demand for shipping has, therefore, increased dramatically since the mid-1990s. However, the corresponding increase in the supply of shipping has occurred without too much consideration of its environmental consequences. Although other modes of transport have come under considerable environmental scrutiny, shipping has largely escaped attention. This is partly due to the fact that regulations have been difficult to agree upon because of the international nature of the industry. However, it is also due to the fact that many of the environmental impacts take place at sea and so have fewer immediate perceptible impacts on the population.