The starting point to battle global warming

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty ratified by all member states of the United Nations, plus several other countries. Its goal is to limit climate change by reducing man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly of carbon dioxide. As the name indicates, it is a framework convention and hence non-binding and non-enforced. The ratifying parties meet at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference to establish the current status and decide on legally binding emission targets.

The Kyoto Protocol

Five years after the convention was ratified, the 1997 Conference of the Parties in Kyoto, Japan, first established internationally binding limits on GHG emissions. The resulting Kyoto Protocol recognizes the historical responsibility of developed industrialized countries for global warming. Due to their disproportionately high contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions since pre-industrial times, they also bear a heavier burden. During the first commitment period, 37 industrialized countries and the European Union committed to reduce GHG emissions by an average of 5% compared to 1990 levels between 2008-2012. On paper, the 36 signatories that remained committed to the international agreement met their targets. However, the permitted “flexibility mechanisms” allowed under the Kyoto Protocol permit emissions trading, so not all GHGs were truly cut; some were merely shifted. During the second commitment period, emission targets were raised to an average of -18% for 2013 to 2020.

The Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement is not an amendment of the Kyoto targets, but a separate instrument within the framework convention. The result of 2015 climate talks in Paris, France, it was ratified in 2016. Its aim is “keeping a global temperature rise this century well below two degrees” to combat climate change. However, in addition to the fact that this goal is not ambitious enough to effectively prevent a climate crisis, the individual targets set by each country are not yet being met. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris climate agreement lacks a binding enforcement mechanism.

Marine shipping’s role in the UNFCCC

The UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement all ignore CO2 emissions from marine shipping. They are not included in the greenhouse gas inventory of the volumes to be reduced by participating countries. MAN Energy Solutions supports a roadmap to decarbonization, helping the shipping industry become carbon-neutral by 2050. This would contribute massively to the goals outlined in the global treaties by curbing global emissions that are currently not even factored into calculations.

Maritime Energy Transition supports UNFCCC goals

As one of the world’s largest designers and manufacturers of marine propulsion systems, MAN Energy Solutions is already at the forefront when it comes to climate-neutral shipping. As 50% of world trade is being moved by MAN engines, the company has made its mission to provide the technologies needed to make shipping sustainable. Since 2016, MAN Energy Solutions has championed the Maritime Energy Transition. The company not only develops technological solutions but also advocates for an effective global regulatory framework.

Learn more about the Maritime Energy Transition

A milestone for the Maritime Energy Transition

A German container ship just became the world’s first to be tanked with climate-neutral synthetic natural gas (SNG) generated from wind power as part of an effort to decarbonize one of the last industries still heavily reliant on fossil fuels: maritime shipping.

Learn more about how marine shipping can help to combat global climate change