Carbon emissions of shipping, aviation industry not included in COP21

A draft on an international climate change agreement during the Paris COP21 talks did not make any clear reference on the shipping and aviation industry, which are big contributors to global carbon emissions.

According to The Irish Times, the aviation industry contributes 3 percent to the global carbon emissions and the shipping industry is responsible for another 3 percent. Those amounts of carbon emission have an impact as big as Britain and Germany. It is expected to be at 270 percent by 2050.

Lobby group Brussels-based Transport & Environment aviation specialist Andrew Murphy said the UN's objective to cap global warming to only 1.5 to 2 degrees can't happen unless carbon emissions from the aviation and shipping sector are reduced.

However, these issues were considered "the elephants in the room" during the COP21, and experts fear these industries could escape stricter carbon emissions regulations as they have been doing for the last 20 years.

GCaptain reported that the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, which has delegates coming from 195 countries, released a draft December 5 that made only little reference to the shipping and aviation industry.

Not being included in the COP21 radar is good news for shipping and aviation groups, as well as the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO). These groups push for a global climate change deal, but want it to be done only through the IMO.

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Secretary General Peter Hinchliffe said, "Mandatory regulations already adopted by IMO will ensure that all ships built after 2025 will be at least 30% more efficient than ships operating today. Combined with further technical and operational measures plus new technology, international shipping should be able to reduce its CO2 per tonne-kilometer by 50% before 2050."

Meanwhile, Politico wrote that the harsh effects of the shipping and aviation industries can be felt the most on the Marshall Islands.

Located at the Pacific, this country has 1,100 low-lying islands that are at risk of disappearing as the ocean levels are rising. This country has total of 53,000 people. This is why the country is in the forefront to cutting emissions from the aviation and shipping industry.

However, the Marshall Islands run the third- largest ship registry in the world, which means addressing the shipping industry issue may adversely affect its economy.