Shipping

Ireland’s commercial seaports are vital transport arteries, carrying 99% of the country’s external trade. Like aviation, greenhouse gas emissions from shipping transport are growing.  International maritime transport accounted for 13% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, of the EU-27 states. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) estimates that Carbon dioxide emissions from shipping were equal to 2.5% of the global human-made emissions in 2019 and expects them to rise by as much as 2 to 3 times by 2050 if no action is taken. However, the transport of materials via the sea has the least impact on greenhouse gas emissions when compared to aviation, rail or road transport.

That said, emissions from the global shipping industry amount to around 940 million tonnes a year,  More information on measures to reduce emissions from shipping can be found here.