International shipping in a world below 2 °C
Eduardo Müller-Casseres (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro)
Maarten van den Berg (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving)
Olivier Dessens (University College London)
H. Naghash (TU Delft - Ship Design, Production and Operations)
Isabela S. Tagomori (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving)
Ioannis Tsiropoulos (E3-Modelling)
Detlef van Vuuren (Universiteit Utrecht, Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving)
Joana Portugal-Pereira (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa)
Harmen Sytze de Boer (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving)
Roberto Schaeffer (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro)
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Abstract
The decarbonization of shipping has become an important policy goal. While integrated assessment models (IAMs) are often used to explore climate mitigation strategies, they typically provide little information on international shipping, which accounts for emissions of around 0.7 GtCO2 yr−1. Here we perform a multi-IAM analysis of international shipping and show the potential for decreasing annual emissions in the next decades, with reductions of up to 86% by 2050. This is primarily achieved through the deployment of low-carbon fuels. Models that represent several potential low-carbon alternatives tend to show a deeper decarbonization of international shipping, with drop-in biofuels, renewable alcohols and green ammonia standing out as the main substitutes for conventional maritime fuels. While our results align with the 2018 emission reduction goal of the International Maritime Organization, their compatibility with the agency’s revised target is still subject to a more definitive interpretation.