Oceana issued the following statement from senior campaign director Jacqueline Savitz today in response to the International Maritime Organization’s:
There are only five countries that out-rank the global shipping fleet in carbon dioxide emissions – the shipping industry releases more carbon dioxide than Germany, and nearly as much as Japan according to IMO reports.
“Oceana is deeply troubled by the apparent decision of the IMO – on the first day of its meeting – to formally side-step any discussion about the application of greenhouse gas requirements to ships. There is a clear need for mandatory requirements to control emissions that contribute to climate change. Ships are credited with releasing more than one billion pounds of carbon dioxide each year and could account for about 20 percent of carbon dioxide emissions globally by 2050 under the business-as-usual scenario.