IMO chief calls for immediate action to cut shipping emissions by 2030

In Germany, Associated Press reports Arsenio Dominguez, head of the International Maritime Organization, emphasized the immediate need for the shipping industry to reduce carbon emissions through actionable steps such as optimizing ship routes with satellite technology, cleaning hulls to reduce drag, and adopting slow steaming to cut fuel consumption.

Speaking at at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, Dominguez urged shipping companies to act more swiftly, warning that without decisive steps, the industry’s emissions are expected to rise significantly in the coming decades, making it harder to meet global climate goals.

As reported by AP, Dominguez suggested that implementing a global carbon tax could help standardize emissions regulation worldwide, though there is ongoing debate about how such a tax would be structured and how the revenue should be used. He made it clear that achieving the IMO’s goal of reducing emissions by 30% by 2030 will require immediate and concerted action across the industry.

Dominguez also discussed the importance of transitioning to cleaner fuels like hydrogen and ammonia, though he acknowledged the challenges related to high costs and limited infrastructure. He stressed that while these fuels hold promise, they require substantial investment to scale up.

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