Trade-linked shipping CO2 emissions

Xiao-Tong Wang, Huan Liu (), Zhao-Feng Lv, Fan-Yuan Deng, Hai-Lian Xu, Li-Juan Qi, Meng-Shuang Shi, Jun-Chao Zhao, Song-Xin Zheng, Han-Yang Man and Ke-Bin He
Additional contact information
Xiao-Tong Wang: Tsinghua University
Huan Liu: Tsinghua University
Zhao-Feng Lv: Tsinghua University
Fan-Yuan Deng: Tsinghua University
Hai-Lian Xu: Tsinghua University
Li-Juan Qi: Tsinghua University
Meng-Shuang Shi: Tsinghua University
Jun-Chao Zhao: Tsinghua University
Song-Xin Zheng: Tsinghua University
Han-Yang Man: Tsinghua University
Ke-Bin He: Tsinghua University

Nature Climate Change, 2021, vol. 11, issue 11, 945-951

Abstract: Abstract The ambitious targets for shipping emissions reduction and challenges for mechanism design call for new approaches to encourage decarbonization. Here we build a compound model chain to deconstruct global international shipping emissions to fine-scale trade flows and propose trade-linked indicators to measure shipping emissions efficiency. International maritime trade in 2018 contributes 746.2 Tg to shipping emissions of CO2, of which 17.2% is contributed from ten out of thousands of trade flows at the country level. We argue that potential unfairness exists if allocating shipping emissions responsibility to bilateral traders due to external beneficiaries. However, a huge shipping emissions-reduction potential could be expected by optimizing international trade patterns, with a maximum reaching 38% of the current total. Our comprehensive modelling system can serve as a benchmark tool to support the construction of a systematic solution and joint effort from the shipping industry and global trade network to address climate change.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01176-6

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