The time has come for marine fleets to contribute to lowering CO2 emissions too. The European Union publishes the first report on the environmental impacts of maritime traffic, launching an environmental and economic reflection. The figures released are not exciting for old Europe, since about two-thirds of emissions are linked to voyages to or from a port outside the European Economic Area (EEA). A bit of damage, a bit of mockery, therefore, with limited effects on the economy of countries engaged in ecological changes.
The numbers in the report are those of 2018, when emissions from ships in EEA ports accounted for 6% of total emissions. On the other hand, transport between European ports produced 32% of total CO2 emissions. The goods travel mainly with container ships and in the end they are the ones that puff the greatest quantities of pollutants. Comparing, in fact, the emissions between different types of ships, container ships have marked that high percentage of the total which leaves ample room for intervention. In short, it is said in Brussels, it is necessary to intervene with shipowners, transporters and the most exposed industrial sectors in order not to continue to have opposite effects at sea to what is being attempted on land.
The report monitored ships over 5.000 gross tonnage: 11.600 vessels that released more than 138 million tons of CO2 emissions along their routes in just one year. The European Environment Agency says emissions from merchant fleets are 3,7% of total CO2 emissions in the EU. But the green operations of the Union certainly need to lower these percentages further. The regulation on the monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions from maritime transport has been in force since 2018. Shipping companies have an obligation to record fuel consumption and other environmental information when sailing to or from ports in the EEA. The legislation, rightly, does not distinguish freight or passenger transport for which control must be total. Compared to two years ago, something will have changed, such as the use of natural gas by some companies instead of diesel. We talk about it, guidelines have been defined, but we need to see the effectiveness.
In fact, the data and the EU report will be published every year to allow a better understanding of the characteristics, CO2 emissions and energy efficiency of the monitored fleet. For cruise ships a year ago the German association Nabu in its annual ranking established that only two cruise ships out of over 80 surveyed used effective systems to reduce smog. The overwhelming number of floating cities - already opposed by associations and historic seaside cities - were practically seen as responsible for "enormous greenhouse gas" emissions. In the final comment of the Italian Environmental Protection System, the conclusion is that the transparency of the system and the granularity of the data reported is "the key to addressing market barriers and stimulating the diffusion of highly energy efficient behaviors and technologies".
