How Can International Shipping Go Green

How we, as a civilization, can change our economy and lifestyles into environmentally sustainable things has been the crucial question for the 21st century. If we don’t figure something out, we might not be around in the 22nd century. Every industry will have to meet these demands, including international shipping. The Paris Accord Climate Agreement dictates that we have reached net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to limit global heating by 2 °C to pre-industrial levels, the absolute highest it can go before many climate experts believe climate change becomes catastrophic. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses are the principal factors in global heating, and the shipping industry is a big part of our collective carbon emissions. We need international shipping; our whole global economy is based on it. How can it go green?

First, let us establish just what role international shipping plays in our global emissions. International shipping accounts for about a billion tons of greenhouse emissions every year. That’s a huge number, but let’s put it in perspective. That number accounts for only about 3% of total global emissions. This is not to allow international shippers off the hook. They need to get those numbers down like every other industry, but they’re not the biggest problem we face.

Second, there is a reason for optimism. Yes, it can be discouraging to learn just how much international shopping (and other industries) run on fossil fuels, but this doesn’t always have to be the way. And, frankly, it can’t be. What are the alternatives? There have been great strides forward in the area of solar cell integration.

You must do your part as an individual or the owner of a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME). But it’s important to remember we’re not going to solve these problems without far-reaching government policies, so do your part at the ballot box and in lobbying of governments. But from a pure business standpoint, international shippers that start going green now and the SMEs that work with them will have a considerable advantage. First, your products and services will be more appealing to consumers who increasingly want green options. Second, once such green practices become laws, you will already have them in place. Export Portal can help SMEs identify green shippers and put them at the forefront of this burgeoning green economy.