Countries agree to slash shipping emissions but not enough to stay within warming limits

Maritime nations agreed Friday to slash emissions from the shipping industry to net zero by about 2050 in a deal that several experts and nations say falls short of what’s needed to curb warming to agreed temperature limits. Countries at the meeting of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization in London, seen as key to curb global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times, signed a deal for shipping emissions to reach net zero “by or around” 2050. The less firm deadline was agreed to take account of “different national circumstances.” The plan also calls for shipping emissions to be slashed by at least 20% but aiming for 30% by 2030 and at least 70% but working toward 80% by 2040 despite a push from Pacific nations — backed by Canada, the United States and the U.K. — for more ambitious targets. The German government welcomed the agreement, calling it “an important milestone for ensuring that international shipping makes a fair contribution to reaching the temperature goals of the Paris agreement.” Transport Ministry spokesman Florian Druckenthaner said Germany had “lobbied massively” for the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Asked by The Associated Press whether Germany feels bound by the new targets, despite the fact that the interim goals are “indicative,” Druckenthaner said they are targets “we support and share.” Ajithkumar Sukumaran, one of India’s representatives at the talks, said the nation is “happy with the outcome but are still apprehensive of the extent to which the spirit of this declaration is going to be transformed to reality, particularly in ensuring that developing countries do not get affected by these emission targets.” Sukumaran called for the IMO to put mechanisms in place to assess that the targets set in the deal are in fact being implemented.