Part 3 of 10: Realizing a Hydrogen Economy Series
International seaborne transportation is a primary driver of
international trade and the global economy, with approximately 80 percent of global trade by volume carried
by ships at sea. The shipping sector has experienced steady growth
for decades, although carbon dioxide (CO
2) is the primary greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted from
marine shipping. In 2012, CO
2 and GHG emissions from
international shipping were estimated to be around 2.1 percent and 2.2 percent of global
emissions, respectively. The International Maritime
Organization (IMO) has since developed an initial GHG strategy that
sets goals that international shipping should reduce total annual
GHG emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 with zero emissions