Page 15 - IB AUG 2017

Shipping
Big blow for Pacific coal ition at IMO negotiations

The decision to delay by at least a further our people that we are walking the walk
seven years any agreement on reducing and not just talking the talk.
greenhouse gas emissions from shipping “The discussion on measures will help
constitutes an abject failure by national us both understand what options we may
governments and the shipping industry,” have to achieve the level of ambition re-
she told Islands Business. quired, but also start to see what impacts
“The Pacific was at least hoping for an on States might be, and therefore how
agreement to decarbonise shipping by the these impacts could be addressed. For
second half of the century.” us, the ambition to reduce GHG must be
Marshall Islands, which has the second matched with efforts to reduce transport
largest shipping register in the world and cost-related risks for States. This com-
which first moved to limit shipping pol- plex negotiating process will benefit from
lution at the IMO in 2015, pleaded with Captain Tioon of Kiribati (on big screen) makes an adopting an iterative approach - we have
intervention at the IMO meeting.Photo: Alison Newell.
shipping companies in London to hasten to start the real work soon, we must not
changes and make a difference. For us in the Pacific. endlessly debate where to start or we will
“My country knows the economic im- ‘ have wasted our time.”
portance of shipping more than most,” time is running out. Mose said the Solomon Islands are suf-
Marshall Islands Minister for Transport As I speak, many of fering from the effects of climate change,
and Communications Mike Halferty told the SI are going under “particularly in our low-lying islands”.
the IMO. the waves ... for us the ‘ “We have already had whole communi-
“As an island nation, we rely on ship- ties that have had to relocate due to coastal
ping for almost everything, including threat is real ... inundation. And as a nation remotely
food. Our transportation costs are already - Moses Mose, Solomons Ambassador to Europe located from international markets, we are
amongst the highest in the world. deeply sensitive to the impact of any rise in
“But climate action and economic growth transport costs on our economy.
go hand-in-hand. Acting on shipping Kiribati Minister for Justice Naatan
emissions is no different. The best analysis Teewe said Kiribati is one of the first and
has shown that. one of the most affected from the impacts
“This is why many shipping associa- of climate change.
tions and carrier companies have already “In 1999, two of our islets, Tebuatarawa
pledged their support for a target, or have and Abanuea disappeared under water.
adopted their own. The cost of delaying High ambition ...Pacific and Caribbean delegates meet “We are suffering the effects of more ex-
action to address climate change will be on the roof of the IMO Building in London at an event treme storms and droughts. Our freshwater
hosted by the Solomons. Photo: Benoit Adam.
far greater to the global economy than is becoming contaminated by sea water as
acting now.” national shipping by the second half of the sea levels rise and ocean acidification is
While welcoming steps taken by the century. That vision should be captured in
maritime sector to reduce emissions, “it the 2018 initial strategy.” damaging our protecting coral reefs and
the fish that we rely upon for protein.”
needs to urgently step up its efforts”. Tuvalu’s Minister for communications Teewe said earlier this year, the World
“To put it in context, if international and transport, Monies Laafai told the meet- Meteorological Organisation released its
shipping was a country, it would be the ing that the UN considers Tuvalu may well report on the state of the world’s climate
seventh largest emitter of greenhouse be the first nation to suffer from complete in 2016 and it was alarming “for us as it
gases in the world. loss of land mass due to climate change. states that we have already reached global
“And unless the sector takes additional “Whilst we are threatened by the rising temperatures of 1.1 degrees Celsius above
action to those already planned, emissions seas, it is the changes this brings to our pre-industrial levels”.
from the sector will grow anywhere from freshwater sources and supplies that will “Even more distressing for us, is the
50 per cent to 250 per cent by 2050. make our country uninhabitable first … image of Tarawa, our capital, with the
“That would be as much as all the green- for the survival of my country and our accompanying text noting that Kiribati is
house gas emissions from the European neighbours, I beg that we must all strive likely to be uninhabitable as a nation state
Union.” collectively for the highest level of ambition in 30-60 years.”
Brazil, Argentina, India and Saudi Ara- possible,” Laafai said. More negotiations are planned ahead of
bia tried to delay moves for tougher regula- Solomons Islands Ambassador to Eu- a 2018 climate deal for the shipping sector.
tion for shipping during the negotiations. rope, Moses Mose, said the initial strategy For now the Pacific’s fate amid the ris-
Halferty called on the IMO to send a clear must contain a clear vision and high, ing ocean that surrounds it remains in the
signal that it will take serious and ambi- quantified, level of ambition. hands of a world that continues to put its
tious climate action and play its part in de- “And it must also progress the measures financial gain from shipping before the vul-
livering the goals of the Paris Agreement. that will be needed if we are to have a nerable lives in the islands it benefits from.
“That signal should be that the IMO is chance of communicating to our govern- q ilaitia.turagabeci@gmail.com
committed to the decarbonisation of inter- ment, to UNFCCC, to the industry and to

Islands Business, August 2017 15