U.N. Shipping Agency Reaches Deal to Cut CO2 Emissions

The United Nations shipping agency reached an agreement on Friday to cut carbon emissions, delegates said, following years of slow progress.

The compromise plan, which will cut emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared with 2008 levels, fell short of more ambitious targets, they added.

Delegates said opposition from some countries - including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Panama - had limited what could be achieved at a session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) this week in London.

“The IMO should and could have gone a lot further,” said Bill Hemmings, shipping director with green campaigners Transport & Environment.

“This decision puts shipping on a promising track.”

Greenpeace International political adviser Veronica Frank said the plan was “far from perfect but the direction is now clear - a phase-out of carbon emissions”.

“This decarbonization must start now and targets improved along the way, because without concrete, urgent measures to cut emissions from shipping now, the Paris ambition to limit warming to 1.5 degrees will become swiftly out of reach,” Frank said.

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