A few interesting things I found recently:
Major sea-level rise caused by melting of Greenland ice cap is ‘now inevitable’ (The Guardian)
We’ve known for a while that sea-level rise is inevitable: that is, whatever we do to address carbon emissions now or in the future that the seas have already warmed enough that some glacial ice will melt. The question is one of “how much” rather than “if”.
Two things stand out: the figures quoted are alarming (27 cm as a “very conservative rock-bottom minimum”), but also of note is the way that the research was conducted. This study makes predictions based on analysing satellite images of previous losses, rather than using mathematical models which have an inherent amount of uncertainty.
The research shows the global heating to date will cause an absolute minimum sea-level rise of 27cm (10.6in) from Greenland alone as 110tn tonnes of ice melt. With continued carbon emissions, the melting of other ice caps and thermal expansion of the ocean, a multi-metre sea-level rise appears likely.
The Guardian, 2022
World Maritime Day (United Nations)
Two links to share that relate to developing economies, and the opportunities and challenges of a sustainable maritime sector:
First, a reminder that this year’s World Maritime Day is on Thursday, 29 September 2022. This year’s theme is New Technologies for Greener Shipping. From the UN page for this observance:
The theme for this year reflects the need to support a green transition of the maritime sector into a sustainable future, while leaving no one behind. It provides an opportunity to focus on the importance of a sustainable maritime sector and the need to build back better and greener in a post pandemic world.
United Nations, 2022
Last week I attended a webinar on decarbonising the shipping sector, presenting examples from South Africa, Mexico and Indonesia. If you’re interested in viewing this webinar, the recording can be found on the Global Maritime Forum’s channel on YouTube. From the video description:
Developing and emerging economies around the world are integral for the transition to zero-emission shipping. With their substantial renewable energy resources, these countries have great potential to not only develop production and bunkering of green fuels – ranging from the domestic fleet and small vessels to deep-sea ocean-going vessels – but also in some cases to export these fuels as a new commodity. The benefits associated with the production of scalable zero-emission fuels are widespread, supporting sustainable development goals, reducing maritime and land-based emissions, bolstering economic and job growth, among others. South Africa, Mexico, and Indonesia are three such countries with strategic opportunities to contribute to shipping’s decarbonization.
This webinar will share outcomes from the P4G-Getting to Zero Partnership project, highlighting key findings and recommendations from our recently published & soon-to-be published reports on these three countries.
Global Maritime Forum, 2002
You can learn more about the Getting to Zero Coalition here.
Notepaths 