As global decarbonisation talks begin in London this week, the UN maritime agency is under renewed criticism of having sub-par accountability standards and lacking measures against corporate influence in decision-making process. Despite handing out a positive review of its administration, overall Transparency International’s assessment of the IMO was sombre
Posted on - 2018-04-03The International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a United Nations’ specialised agency, creates “a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair, effective, universally adopted and implemented. The shipping industry could contribute up to 17% of global CO2 emissions by 2050 if left unregulated. Therefore, the IMO has an integral role in helping the shipping industry to meet the targets set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate change and Goal 14 on oceans, as well as the targets of the Paris Agreement.
The goal of Transparency International’s governance assessment is to provide an overview of challenges existing in the IMO’s governance and decision-making processes and to provide recommendations for improvement to support its aptitude to develop and implement effective strategies and policies. The assessment identifies the key governance and anti-corruption measures in place in terms of transparency, accountability and integrity.
Posted on - 2018-04-03For many people reading this, air travel is their most serious environmental sin. One round-trip flight from New York to Europe or to San Francisco creates a warming effect equivalent to 2 or 3 tons of carbon dioxide per person. The average American generates about 19 tons of carbon dioxide a year; the average European, 10.
Though air travel emissions now account for only about 5 percent of warming, that fraction is projected to rise significantly, since the volume of air travel is increasing much faster than gains in flight fuel efficiency. (Also, emissions from most other sectors are falling.)
Posted on - 2018-03-31