John Kerry wants to accelerate the decarbonization of the global shipping industry, which spews more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year than France and the U.K. combined.
The U.S. climate envoy said in April that he wants international shipping’s emissions to drop to zero by 2050, a much sharper cut than the industry’s current target. The U.S. will work with other countries at the International Maritime Organization, which regulates global shipping, to "adopt ambitious measures that’ll place the entire sector on a pathway to achieve this goal,” he said.
From Thursday, those aims will face their first major test as countries gather virtually for the latest round of IMO talks on cutting CO2 emissions. Major proposals, including a carbon tax, are on the table. And while little of significance is likely to be decided at this meeting, the new U.S. position is expected by industry insiders to give fresh impetus to the discussions.