Greenhouse Gas Emissions from International Maritime Transport: The Science in a New Zealand and Australian Context

• Author: Inga J. Smith - Oliver J.A. Howitt - Vincent G.N. Revol - Warren B. Fitzgerald - Craig J. Rodger
• Position: Department of Physics, University of Otago. This paper was presented to the 2009 Annual Conference of the Maritime Law Association of Australia & New Zealand in September 2009
• Pages: 31-35

(2010) 24 A&NZ Mar LJ 31

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM INTERNATIONAL MARITIME

TRANSPORT: THE SCIENCE IN A NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN CONTEXT

Ing a J. Sm ith , O liver J. A. Ho witt, Vince nt G. N. Re vol, Warre n B. Fitzge ra ld , and Craig J.

Rod g e r∗

Introduction

Greenhouse gas emissions from international maritime transport contribute to anthropogenic global warming, as do

those from international air transport. However, no liability was apportioned for these international emissions under

the Kyoto Protocol when it was adopted in 1997. Instead, Article 2.2 of the Kyoto Protocol stated that:1

2. The Parties included in Annex 1 shall pursue limitation or reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled

by the Montreal Protocol from aviation and marine bunker fuels, working through the International Civil Aviation

Organization and the International Marit ime Organization, respectively.

In recent years, there has been increasing international attention given to quantifying such emissions, with a view to

possible inclusion of liabilities under future international climate agreements, particularly leading up to the United

Nations Climate Change Conference (Conference of Parties (COP) 15) in Copenhagen, 7-18 December 2009.

This paper will review the science of greenhouse gas emissions from international maritime transport in the context

of international maritime vessels passing through New Zealand and Australian ports. New Zealand and Australia are

both countries with entirely maritime international borders and are geographically remote from many of their trading

partners. Both nations are therefore heavily reliant on international maritime transport for the trade of goods with

other countries. The implications of recent legal and policy developments in the Australasian geographic context

will be briefly discussed.

Bac kg round: the Science of Gree nhouse Gas Emissions and Maritime Transport

Light from the Sun, known to scientists as ‘solar radiation’, interacts with the components of the Earth's atmosphere

(gases, particles, clouds), land and oceans. When it is absorbed at the surface, solar radiation is subsequently re-

emitted as ‘longer wavelength’ (i.e. stretched) radiation. Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide

allow most of the incoming radiation to pass through them, but the longer wavelength outgoing radiation does not

pass as easily through these gases. The heat associated with this radiation is therefore trapped within the Earth's

atmosphere. This warming effect is known as ‘the greenhouse effect’.

A certain level of the natural greenhouse effect is necessary for life as we know it to exist on Earth. Without it, the

mean temperature of the Earth would be approximately -17°C. However, human activities, particularly the burning

of fossil fuels since the 18th century, have increased the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, with CO2

concentrations being approximately 35% higher now when compared to pre-industrial times.2

This additional

‘anthropogenic greenhouse effect’ is what climate scientists are concerned about.

Coal, oil, and natural gas are collectively known as fossil fuels. This term is used because they are the fossil

remnants of plants and animals that were geologically buried, predominantly during the Carboniferous Era, around

360 to 290 million years ago (although New Zealand coal, oil, and gas formation was more recent).3

∗ Department of Physics, University of Otago. This paper was presented to the 2009 Annual Conference of the Maritime Law Association of

Australia & New Zealand in September 2009.

These remnants

1 Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Kyoto Protocol), 1998, 37 ILM 22.

2 Intergovernmental Pan el on Climate Change, Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report (2007).

<http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf> at 1 April 2008.

3 New Zealand Ministry of Commerce, Crown Minerals Operations Group, An Introduction to the Petroleum Geology of New Zealand (first

published 1992, 1993 edition); Larry Thomas, Coal Geolo gy (2002).