Barrelling down to net-zero

Protests on the streets of London from climate activist group Extinction Rebellion through to the clarion call for urgent decarbonisation from the International Plant Protection Convention and the United Nations biodiversity group are adding to the melee.

As a result, the UK Government has declared a ‘climate emergency’. They didn’t do that after simply reading some reports. The following day, the UK Committee on Climate Change (advisors to Government) published a recommendation for the adoption of a ‘net zero’ goal for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. That is to cover all GHG emissions, not just carbon dioxide.

What does this mean? It means that the UK is planning to eliminate net GHG emissions within 31 years. That will require extraordinary changes across all sectors, including aviation and shipping. The Committee insists that net zero can be reached with existing technologies and at a cost equivalent to 2% of GDP. However, it’s more likely that the widely held view that tech and new fuels could cut around 40% of that, but the remaining 60% will be down to other actions, including widespread societal and behavioural change. That’s not just buying less plastic packaged chocolates or fruit but no- or low-impact lifestyle shifts. I’ve heard that buy-in of just 3.5% of a population — approximately 2m people in the UK — will be sufficient to reach a tipping point and garner real change.

Ports can help a nation to meet its low-carbon electricity supply targets, but more authorities and terminals will need to embrace renewable energy generation and energy recovery. Some already on that path will soon become net energy suppliers and, in the future, energy hubs and even brokers.

If road-going electric vehicles are the only option from 2035, expect the same in mobile machinery and modes of operation at cargo terminals. It goes without saying that in newbuild projects, A-class energy-efficient buildings, non-fossil fuel heating and the provision of shoreside power will be mandated before then.

Ports will also need to consider improved collaboration with logistics companies. For example, they will need to add many more rapid charging points to port infrastructure to support the hybrid and/or electrically-powered trucks that will be key to reducing emissions to improve air quality.

International operators in richer nations can do even more by supporting their acquired facilities in developing countries with injections of funding, technology upgrades and low-carbon know-how.

This might all be driven by legislation, loan covenants and/or concession agreements, but will governments incentivise the phasing out of old stock and financially support retrofitting to the same exacting standards?

Political change sometimes brings surprises, but the transport sector as a whole needed this particular kick-start to push it to make truly transformational GHG-related changes.