THE International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is under fire for slow progress on climate targets, reports London's Financial Times.
The IMO is the UN body mandated to regulate shipping and in 2018 pledged the sector would cut greenhouse gas emissions 50 per cent by 2050.
However, the ambition was thrashed by UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres last month for falling well short of the Paris goals.
Optimists hope COP26 can give the IMO an incentive to move quicker.
Maersk regulatory affairs director Simon Bergulf hopes shipping is discussed at the event's world leader's summit day.
'The absolute best outcome would be a very clear signal from all nations that shipping needs to be addressed.' said Mr Bergulf.
The IMO must decide by 2023 whether to raise its climate change ambition.
The right signals at COP could bring a decision to set a target of net-zero by 2050.
Others believe COP26's role has already been a success. The International Chamber of Shipping signaled in October its support for net-zero by 2050.
Last month, nine large international companies including Amazon vowed to ship their goods using only zero-emission shipping by 2040.
Said Global Maritime Forum CEO Johannah Christensen: 'This would not have happened without COP; it focuses the mind.'
Yet others in the industry are less upbeat.
Said UCL Energy Institute in London associate professor Tristan Smith: 'The political salience of shipping is very, very low. It's so hard to raise it up because, to get senior political understanding of the discussion at the IMO, you have to go into the weeds.'
SeaNews Turkey
The IMO is the UN body mandated to regulate shipping and in 2018 pledged the sector would cut greenhouse gas emissions 50 per cent by 2050.
However, the ambition was thrashed by UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres last month for falling well short of the Paris goals.
Optimists hope COP26 can give the IMO an incentive to move quicker.
Maersk regulatory affairs director Simon Bergulf hopes shipping is discussed at the event's world leader's summit day.
'The absolute best outcome would be a very clear signal from all nations that shipping needs to be addressed.' said Mr Bergulf.
The IMO must decide by 2023 whether to raise its climate change ambition.
The right signals at COP could bring a decision to set a target of net-zero by 2050.
Others believe COP26's role has already been a success. The International Chamber of Shipping signaled in October its support for net-zero by 2050.
Last month, nine large international companies including Amazon vowed to ship their goods using only zero-emission shipping by 2040.
Said Global Maritime Forum CEO Johannah Christensen: 'This would not have happened without COP; it focuses the mind.'
Yet others in the industry are less upbeat.
Said UCL Energy Institute in London associate professor Tristan Smith: 'The political salience of shipping is very, very low. It's so hard to raise it up because, to get senior political understanding of the discussion at the IMO, you have to go into the weeds.'
SeaNews Turkey