Sustainable Shipping – A roadmap to zero emission ambitions

Tackling climate change is a complex task, one that depends on transformation of different sectors. Maritime shipping is the transmission belt of the global economy and continues to account for the majority of imports and exports. It is recognized as an energy-efficient mode of transportation compared to road and air transport. Yet, maritime transport has increased by 250% over the past 40 years, resulting in the sector contributing to 3% of total annual man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These emissions are expected to increase by 150%–250% by 2050 in business-as-usual scenarios, causing serious human health and environmental harm. More stringent global regulations have recently been introduced to mitigate emissions from ships. Maritime shipping is now expected to adopt innovative solutions to lower its impact on climate change. One alternative is to change fuels (i.e., a shift from the existing use of fossil fuels to clean fuels). Fuel choice is, however, uncertain, raising the critical question of which fuel is the preferable future marine transportation fuel. My research concerns improving knowledge and tools for effective corporate sustainability through collaborative decision-making.

Faculty Supervisor:

David Gillen;Jane Lister

Student:

Mehrnaz Ashrafi

Partner:

Teekay

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Transportation and warehousing

University:

University of British Columbia