Anlässlich eines wichtigen Treffens der International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London letzte Woche, bei dem es um die Treibhausgasemissionen der Branche ging, hat die Organisation InfluenceMap einen Bericht über den Lobbyeinfluss der Schiffahrtsindustrie in diesem wichtigen UN Gremium vorgelegt: Corporate Capture of the IMO. Medienberichte dazu gab es u.a. in Climate Home, Economic Times (India), The Ecologist, SeaFarer TImes (Philippines), EE News und Shipping Watch.
Der Bericht legt dar, wie die Lobby der Schifffahrtsindustrie durch aggressive Strategien der Einflussnahme dafür sorgt, dass dieser wichtige Industriesektor quasi der einzige bleibt, der bisher ohne nennenswerte Klimaziele munter weiter wachsen darf – und mit ihm seine Emissionen. 2015 hat das Europäische Parlament vorgerechnet, dass die globale Schifffahrt bis 2050 für 17 % der globalen Treibhausgasemissionen verantwortlich sein könnte, wenn sie nicht reguliert wird. Das ist in keinster Weise kompatibel mit den Zielen des Pariser Klimaabkommens.
Und wenn man dann noch bedenkt, welche immens strategische Bedeutung die Schifffahrt für den Transport von Kohle, Öl und Gas (neben vielen anderen und ebenfalls klimaschädlichen Produkten) global hat, dann wird auch klar, dass nicht nur diese Branche selber, sondern noch ganz andere Inudstrieplayer erhebliches Interesse am Status Quo haben.
Die Ergebnisse des Berichts von InfluenceMap im Einzelnen:
- Progress on regulation has been stalled by powerful shipping trade associations, with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) leading efforts to oppose action on climate change at the IMO. ICS, alongside BIMCO and the World Shipping Council, have collectively lobbied to delay implementation of any climate regulations until 2023 – even then refusing to support anything but voluntary regulations that may not reduce the sector’s overall greenhouse emissions.
- This research has further uncovered that at the most recent IMO environmental committee meeting 31% of nations were represented in part by direct business interests. The IMO appears to be the only UN agency to allow such extensive corporate representation in the policy-making process.
- This research shows conclusively how the shipping sector is maintaining its business model regarding carbon emissions by capturing the regulatory process. The shipping sector’s lack of disclosure contrasts with increasing investor expectations of more such disclosure as exhibited by the FSB’s TCFD recommendations on climate risk. Future policy shifts are impossible to predict and investors in the shipping sector should query exposed companies they own as to what they are doing to manage climate risk behind the shroud of opacity currently in place.
- A key exception to this is market leader AP Moller-Maersk, which transparently discloses on its climate policy positions, appearing to support ambitious action on climate. Other progressive corporate voices in the sector have also recognized the need for a more ambitious stance on climate policy. Maersk has been joined recently by companies such as Sweden’s Stena Line and national trade associations from Scandinavia that appear supportive of action to decarbonize the shipping industry. Such actors suggest potential for a future coalition of progressive voices in shipping to promote greater corporate climate policy disclosure and action on climate at the IMO.