CO_2 argument heats up ahead of COP21

摘要

Several high profile shipping organisations are raisi ng their voices on the issue of CO_2 emission levels. Ahead of the COP21 Paris Climate conference this December, outgoing IMO secretary general Koji Sekimizu issued a call to the gathered UN leaders to avoid imposing emission levels on shipping-reiterating a point that he has long made: that the maritime industry is aware of the nuances of operations and so the IMO is the best place forsuch discussions to take place. However,Tony de Brum, foreign minister of the Republicof the Marshall Islands (RMI) publicly criticised both Sekimizu and the IMO for dragging their feet on the issue of climate change.The RMI minister pointed outthatthe IMO chose notto act on the country's proposal for a firm target for shipping emissions submitted in May. He stated: "[Sekimizu's] call is notjusta danger to the planet, but as the research indicates, also to the shipping industry's future prosperity and, therefore, the future stability of world trade. Of great alarm is the secretary general's misuse, or at least misunderstanding, of the evidence-base on shipping and its GHG pollution."