EPA Control of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources: Ships - Congress and Law

Posted - Saturday, January 2, 2010 - Congress and Law
EPA Control of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources: Ships
Three of the 10 petitions to EPA asking the agency to control greenhouse gas emissions concern
ocean-going ships (also referred to as marine engines and vessels) and (in two of the petitions)
their fuel. Although there is a wide range of estimates, the International Maritime Organization’s
consensus is that international shipping emitted 843 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide,
2.7% of global CO2 emissions in 2007. Including domestic shipping and fishing vessels larger
than 100 gross tonnes, the amount would increase to 1.019 billion tonnes, 3.3% of global
emissions.26 At these levels, only five countries (the United States, China, Russia, India, and
Japan) account for a higher percentage of the world total of CO2 emissions.27

In addition to the CO2 emissions, the low quality bunker fuel that ships use and the absence of
pollution controls result in significant emissions of black carbon and nitrogen oxides, which also
contribute to climate change. Refrigerants used on ships (hydrofluorcarbons and
perfluorocarbons—HFCs and PFCs) are also potent greenhouse gases when released to the
atmosphere. Thus, the total impact of ships on climate may be somewhat greater than 3%...

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