Abstract
Sustainable shipping refers to the broad set of challenges, nature of governance rules and regulations, patterns of management and corporate behaviors and aims, engagement of stakeholders, and forms of industrial activity that should come to define a marine transport industry that is shaped by the broader societal goals of sustainable development. This chapter aims to provide a brief overview of the marine transport industry, its role and relevance in sustainable development, and the kinds of changes that are needed for shipping to be sustainable. The focus is mostly on the environmental dimension of sustainable development. As a sector, and for reasons that have to do with the special nature of its international governance that partly falls outside the confines of national jurisdictions, shipping may have been a late comer to some of the most pressing sustainability challenges of our time. After presenting some recent economic trends of the sector and their potential implications for sustainability, the chapter will present some environmental pressures that are related to shipping and will focus on two particular sustainability challenges confronted by maritime transport: the need to drastically reduce sulfur emissions and the even more demanding challenge to mitigate CO2 emissions. Before concluding, the penultimate section will briefly present some sustainability initiatives already under way.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alvik, S., Eide, M. S., Endresen, Ø., Hoffmann, P., & Longva, T. (2010). Pathways to low carbon shipping. Abatement potential towards 2030. DNV.
Asariotis, R., Benamara, H., & Mohos-Naray, V. (2017). Port industry survey on climate change impacts and adaptation. UNCTAD/SER.RP/2017/18.
Balcombe, P., Brierley, J., Lewis, C., Skatvedt, L., Speirs, J., Hawkes, A., et al. (2019). How to decarbonise international shipping: Options for fuels, technologies and policies. Energy Conversion and Management, 182, 72–88.
Benamara, H., Hoffmann, J., & Youssef, F. (2019). Maritime transport: The sustainability imperative. In H. Psaraftis (Ed.), Sustainable shipping: A cross-disciplinary view. Denmark: Springer.
Bouman, E. A., Lindstad, E., Rialland, A. I., & Strømman, A. H. (2017). State-of-the-art technologies, measures, and potential for reducing GHG emissions from shipping – A review. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 52, 408–421.
Brockett, A., & Rezaee, Z. (2012). Corporate sustainability. Wiley.
Chrun, E., Dolšak, N., & Prakash, A. (2016). Corporate environmentalism: Motivations and mechanisms. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 41(1), 341–362.
Directive (EU) 2018/410 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2018 amending Directive 2003/87/EC to enhance cost-effective emission reductions and low-carbon investments, and Decision (EU) 2015/1814. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018L0410
DVN GL. (2017). Low carbon shipping towards 2050. Norway. https://www.dnvgl.com/publications/low-carbon-shipping-towards-2050-93579
ECSA. (2020). POSITION PAPER. A green deal for the European shipping industry. https://www.ecsa.eu/sites/default/files/publications/2020%20ECSA%20Position%20Paper%20-%20A%20Green%20Deal%20for%20the%20European%20shipping%20industry.pdf
EIA. (2016). International energy outlook 2016. Washington, DC: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
EIA. (2017). International energy outlook 2017. Washington, DC: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Eide, M. S., Longva, T., Hoffmann, P., Endresen, Ø., & Dalsøren, S. B. (2011). Future cost scenarios for reduction of ship CO2 emissions. Maritime Policy & Management, 38(1), 11–37.
Endres, S., Maes, F., Hopkins, F., Houghton, K., Mårtensson, E. M., Oeffner, J., et al. (2018). A new perspective at the ship-air-sea-interface: The environmental impacts of exhaust gas scrubber discharge. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5.
EPA, U. S. (2013). Clean air markets: Allowance trading. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/trading/
EPA, U. S. (2016). National port strategy assessment: Reducing air pollution and greenhouse gases at U.S. Ports. Environmental Protection Agency: Office of Transportation Air Quality. EPA-420-R-16-011. http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/trading/
Epstein, M. J., & Buhovac, A. R. (2017). Making sustainability work. Routledge.
European Commission. (2019) The European Green Deal, Brussels, 11.12.2019 COM (2019) 640 final Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the council, the European Economic and Social committee and the committee of the regions. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/european-green-deal-communication_en.pdf
European Commission. (2020a). European climate law – achieving climate neutrality by 2050. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12108-Climate-Law
European Commission. (2020b). EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en
Eyring, V., Kohler, H. W., Van Aardenne, J., & Lauer, A. (2005). Emissions from international shipping: 1. The last 50 years. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 110, D17.
Halff, A., Younes, L., & Boersma, T. (2019). The likely implications of the new IMO standards on the shipping industry. Energy Policy, 126, 277–286.
Huber, B. M., & Comstock, M. (2017). ESG reports and ratings: What they are, why they matter. Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation. https://www.reprisk.com/content/6-news/1-media-coverage/385-esg-reports-and-ratings-what-they-are-why-they-matter/esg-reports-and-ratings-what-they-are-why-they-matter.pdf
ICCT. (2011). Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships cost effectiveness of available options. International Council for Clean Transportation. https://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/ICCT_GHGfromships_jun2011.pdf
ICS. (2016). Proposal to develop an ‘intended IMO determined contribution’ on CO 2 reduction for international shipping. International Chamber of Shipping. MEPC 69, 7(1). http://www.ics-shipping.org/docs/default-source/Submissions/IMO/proposal-to-develop-an-intended-imo-determined-contribution-on-co2-reduction-for-international-shipping.pdf?sfvrsn=0
IMO. (2014). Third IMO greenhouse study 2014. Executive summary and final report. London: International Maritime Organization. http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/AirPollution/Documents/Third%20Greenhouse%20Gas%20Study/GHG3%20Executive%20Summary%20and%20Report.pdf.
IMO. (2017). Considerations of how to progress the matter of reduction of GHG emissions from ships. Note by the secretariat. London: International Maritime Organization. ISWG-GHG1/2.
IMO. (2018). Report of the Marine Environment Protection Committee on it its seventieth session, road map for developing a comprehensive IMO strategy on, reduction of GHG emissions from ships. International Maritime Organization. MEPC 70/18/Add.1, Annex 11. https://www.mardep.gov.hk/en/msnote/pdf/msin1707anx3.pdf
International Gas Union. (2017). Enabling clean marine transport. http://www.igu.org/sites/default/files/nodedocument-field_file/IGU_A4_CleanMarineTransport_Final%20March%202017_3.pdf
Kosmas, V., & Acciaro, M. (2017). Bunker levy schemes for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in international shipping. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 57, 195–206.
Lambin, E. F., & Thorlakson, T. (2018). Sustainability standards: Interactions between private actors, civil society, and governments. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 43, 369–393.
Lun, Y. H. V., Lai, K.-h., Wong, C. W. Y., & Cheng, T. C. E. (2015). Green shipping management. Springer.
Maloni, M., Paul, J. A., & Gligor, D. M. (2013). Slow steaming impacts on ocean carriers and shippers. Maritime Economics & Logistics, 15(2), 151–171.
McKinnon, A. (2016). UNCTAD workshop on sustainable freight transport and finance. Nairobi.
Mikelis, N. (2019). Ship recycling. In H. Psaraftis (Ed.), Sustainable shipping: A cross-disciplinary view (pp. 203–248). Denmark: Springer.
Modak, P. (2018). Environmental management towards sustainability. CRC Press.
Nikolakaki, G. (2013). Economic incentives for maritime shipping relating to climate protection. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, 12(1), 17–39.
OECD. (2017a). CO2 emissions from fuel combustion: Overview. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/International Energy Agency.
OECD. (2017b). ITF transport outlook. Paris: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Olmedo, E. E., Torres, M. J. M., & Izquierdo, M. A. F. (2010). Socially responsible investing: Sustainability indices, ESG rating and information provider agencies. International Journal of Sustainable Economy, 2(4), 442.
Psaraftis, H. (Ed.). (2019). Sustainable shipping: A cross-disciplinary view. Denmark: Springer.
Psaraftis, H. N., & Zachariadis, P. (2019). The way ahead. In H. Psaraftis (Ed.), Sustainable shipping: A cross-disciplinary view (pp. 203–248). Denmark: Springer.
Siew, R. Y. (2015). A review of corporate sustainability reporting tools (SRTs). Journal of Environmental Management, 164, 180–195.
Traut, M., Larkin, A., Anderson, K., McGlade, C., Sharmina, M., & Smith, T. (2018). CO2 abatement goals for international shipping. Climate Policy, 18(8), 1066–1075.
UNCTAD. (2015). Sustainable freight transport systems: Opportunities for developing countries. Note by the UNCTAD secretariat. New York: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. TD/B/C.I/MEM.7/11. https://unctad.org/meetings/en/SessionalDocuments/cimem7d11_en.pdf
UNCTAD. (2018). Review of maritime transport 2018. New York: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/rmt2018_en.pdf.
UNFCCC. (1997). Kyoto protocol to the United Nations framework convention on climate change adopted at COP3 in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December. https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/cop3/07a01.pdf
Wan, Z., el Makhloufi, A., Chen, Y., & Tang, J. (2018). Decarbonizing the international shipping industry: Solutions and policy recommendations. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 126, 428–435.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Papandreou, A., Koundouri, P., Papadaki, L. (2021). Sustainable Shipping: Levers of Change. In: Koundouri, P. (eds) The Ocean of Tomorrow. Environment & Policy, vol 57. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56847-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56847-4_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-56845-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-56847-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)