Climate change and maritime law: A review of IMO governance mechanism
Abstract
International maritime trade has long played a pivotal role in human development; however, its environmental impact cannot be disregarded. Air pollution (that includes Carbon and Sulphur emissions—all together Greenhouse Gases) emanating from ships has emerged as a significant contributor to climate change, prompting growing concern among the international community. The combustion of fossil fuels in ship engines releases pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter into the atmosphere, adversely affecting both human health and the climate. In recognition of the need to tackle this issue, international laws have been established to regulate ship emissions. This research paper analysed the IMO’s regulations under international law for mitigating climate change, with a particular focus on various global initiatives controlling sulphur, carbon and GHG emissions. It is suggested that cooperation between public and private interests as well as at regional levels will play a crucial role in combating climate change and promoting global shipping sustainability.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abspoel L, Mayer I, Keijser X, et al. Communicating maritime spatial planning: The MSP challenge approach. Marine Policy 2021; 132: 103486. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2019.02.057
Arrow K, Bolin B, Costanza R, et al. Economic growth, carrying capacity, and the environment. Ecological Economics 1995; 15(2): 91–95. doi: 10.1016/0921-8009(95)00059-3
Baird R, Simons M, Stephens T. Ocean acidification: A litmus test for international law. Carbon & Climate Law Review 2009; 3(4): 459–471.
Sands P. The united nations framework convention on climate change. Review of European Community & International Environmental Law 1992; 1(3): 270–277. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9388.1992.tb00046.x
Amundsen H, Berglund F, Westskog H. Overcoming barriers to climate change adaptation—A question of multilevel governance? Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 2010; 28(2): 276–289. doi: 10.1068/c0941
Atapattu S. Climate change, human rights, and forced migration: Implications for international law. Wisconsin International Law Journal 2009; 27(3): 607–636.
International Maritime Organization (IMO). International convention for the prevention of pollution from ship (MARPOL). Available online: https://www.imo.org/en/about/Conventions/Pages/International-Convention-for-the-Prevention-of-Pollution-from-Ships-(MARPOL).aspx (accessed on 7 October 2023).
Anyanova E. Oil pollution and international marine environmental law. In: Curkovic S (editor). Sustainable Development: Authoritative and Leading Edge Content for Environmental Management. Books on Demand; 2012. pp. 2–26.
Juda L, Hennessey T. Governance profiles and the management of the uses of large marine ecosystems. Ocean Development & International Law 2001; 32(1): 43–69. doi: 10.1080/00908320150502195
Maken AA. Policy brief—Why Pakistan needs a climate change financing framework? Available online: https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/pk/Climate-Change-Policy-Brief-Final.pdf (accessed on 7 October 2023).
di Pepe LS. Environmental law principles in the European union legislation governing offshore oil and gas operations. In: Zou K (editor). Sustainable Development and the Law of the Sea. Brill Nijhoff; 2017. pp. 99–117. doi: 10.1163/9789004332133_007
Adams M, Quinonez P, Pallis AA, Wakeman H. Environmental issues in port competitiveness. Atlantic Gateway Working Paper 7, Centre for International Trade and Transportation. 2009. pp. 1–21.
Shipman B, Stojanovic T. Facts, fictions, and failures of integrated coastal zone management in Europe. Coastal Management 2007; 35(2–3): 375–398. doi: 10.1080/08920750601169659
Appuhami R, Perera S, Perera H. Coercive policy diffusion in a developing country: The case of public-private partnerships in Sri Lanka. Journal of Contemporary Asia 2011; 41(3): 431–451. doi: 10.1080/00472336.2011.582713
International Maritime Organization (IMO). United nations convention on law of the sea. Available online: https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/legal/pages/unitednationsconventiononthelawofthesea.aspx (accessed on 7 October 2023).
Van TC, Ramirez J, Rainey T, et al. Global impacts of recent IMO regulations on marine fuel oil refining processes and ship emissions. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 2019; 70: 123–134. doi: 10.1016/j.trd.2019.04.001
Tzannatos E. Ship emissions and their externalities for the port of Piraeus–Greece. Atmospheric Environment 2010; 44(3): 400–407. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.10.024
Viana M, Hammingh P, Colette A, et al. Impact of maritime transport emissions on coastal air quality in Europe. Atmospheric Environment 2014; 90: 96–105. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.03.046
Permanent Delegation of Nigeria to UNESCO. Maritime spatial planning goes global: IOC-UNESCO and European Commission to develop new international guidelines. Available online: https://nigeria-del-unesco.org/maritime-spatial-planning-goes-global-ioc-unesco-and-european-commission-to-develop-new-international-guidelines/ (accessed on 7 October 2023).
Stoddard I, Anderson K, Capstick S, et al. Three decades of climate mitigation: Why haven’t we bent the global emissions curve? Annual Review of Environment and Resources 2021; 46: 653–689. doi: 10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-011104
Sikorska PE. The need for legal regulation of global emissions from the aviation industry in the context of emerging aerospace vehicles. International Comparative Jurisprudence 2015; 1(2): 133–142. doi: 10.1016/j.icj.2015.12.004
Aminzadeh SC. A moral imperative: The human rights implications of climate change. Hastings International & Comparative Law Review 2006–2007; 30: 231–266.
Morrison TH, Adger WN, Brown K, et al. Mitigation and adaptation in polycentric systems: Sources of power in the pursuit of collective goals. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change 2017; 8(5): 479. doi: 10.1002/wcc.479
Thorstad EB, Bliss D, Breau C, et al. Atlantic salmon in a rapidly changing environment—Facing the challenges of reduced marine survival and climate change. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 2021; 31(9): 2654–2665. doi: 10.1002/aqc.3624
United Nations. The Paris Agreement. Available online: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/paris-agreement (accessed on 7 October 2023).
Butt MJ, Chang YC, Zulfiqar K. The role of the international law in shaping the governance for sustainable development goals. Journal of Law and Political Sciences 2021; 28(3): 87–164.
Butt MJ. Book review: Kum-Kum Bhavnani, John Foran, Priya A. Kurian and Debashish Munshi, Climate Futures: Reimagining Global Climate Justice. Progress in Development Studies 2023; 23(1): 109–111. doi: 10.1177/14649934211028718
Butt MJ, Chang YC. Chapter 6: Regulation of autonomous maritime weapon systems under the governance framework of international law. In: Zou K, Telesetsky A (editors). Marine Scientific Research, New Marine Technologies and the Law of the Sea, 1st ed. Brill Nijhoff; 2021. pp. 105–126. doi: 10.1163/9789004469372_007
Brus MMTA. Soft law in public international law: A pragmatic or a principled choice? Comparing the sustainable development goals and the Paris Agreement. In: Westerman P, Hage J, Kirste S, Mackor A (editors). Legal Validity and Soft Law. Springer International Publishing; 2018. pp. 243–266. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77522-7_13
Cosma G, Joy M, Sinclair J, et al. Perceptual comparison of source-code plagiarism within students from UK, China, and South Cyprus higher education institutions. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE) 2017; 17(2): 1–16. doi: 10.1145/3059871
Butt MJ, Chang YC, Zulfiqar K. A comparative analysis of the environmental policies in China and Pakistan: Developing a legal regime for sustainable China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) under the belt and road initiative (BRI). IPRI Journal 2021; 21(1): 83–122. doi: 10.31945/iprij.210104
Anderies JM, Barreteau O. Governance principles for robust and resilient coastal systems in the face of global change. Regional Environmental Change 2019; 19: 1831–1833. doi: 10.1007/s10113-019-01542-3
Butt MJ, Zulfiqar K, Chang YC. The Belt and Road Initiative and the Law of the Sea, edited by Keyuan Zou. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law 2021; 26(3): 515–518. doi: 10.1163/15718085-BJA10051
Butt MJ, Chang YC, Zulfiqar K. Applicability of international law in development of sustainable port policy: An analysis of good practices and future policy of Gwadar port. In: Proceedings of The International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) Conference; 26–28 October 2021; Alexandria, Egypt.
Farrington JW. Oil pollution in the marine environment I: Inputs, big spills, small spills, and dribbles. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development 2013; 55(6): 3–13. doi: 10.1080/00139157.2013.843980
Lal R. Thematic evolution of ISTRO: Transition in scientific issues and research focus from 1955 to 2000. Soil and Tillage Research 2001; 61(1–2): 3–12. doi: 10.1016/S0167-1987(01)00184-2
Bateman S. UNCLOS and its limitations as the foundation for a regional maritime security regime. Korean Journal of Defense Analysis 2007; 19(3): 27–56. doi: 10.1080/10163270709464140
Bohorquez JJ, Xue G, Frankstone T, et al. China’s little-known efforts to protect its marine ecosystems safeguard some habitats but omit others. Science Advances 2021; 7(46). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abj1569
Coenen J, Bager S, Meyfroidt P, et al. Environmental governance of China’s belt and road initiative. Environmental Policy and Governance 2021; 31(1): 3–17. doi: 10.1002/eet.1901
Butt MJ, Zulfiqar K, Chang YC, Iqtaish AMA. Maritime dispute settlement law towards sustainable fishery governance: The politics over marine spaces vs. audacity of applicable international law. Fishes 2022; 7(2): 81. doi: 10.3390/fishes7020081
Butt MJ, Zulfiqar K, Chang YC. Islamic Law of the Sea: Freedom of Navigation and Passage Rights in Islamic Thought by Hassan S. Khalilieh Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2019, Xvii + 270 pp. ISBN: 978-1-108-48145-8. Manchester Journal of Transnational Islamic Law & Practice 2022; 18(1): 295–296.
Zhang S, Butt MJ, Iqatish A, Zulfiqar K. China’s belt and road initiative (BRI) under the vision of ‘maritime community with a shared future’ and its impacts on global fisheries governance. Heliyon 2023; 9: e15398. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15398
Zulfiqar K, Butt MJ. Preserving community’s environmental interests in a meta-ocean governance framework towards sustainable development goal 14: A mechanism of promoting coordination between institutions responsible for curbing marine pollution. Sustainability 2021; 13(17): 9983. doi: 10.3390/su13179983
Zhang S, Butt MJ. Marine Scientific Research, New Marine Technologies and the Law of the Sea, edited by Keyuan Zou and Anastasia Telesetsky. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law 2023. doi: 10.1163/15718085-bja10133
Butt MJ, Zulfiqar K. Chapter 6. The role of china in global ocean governance: A marine environmental perspective. In: Mukherjee PK, Xu J, Mejia MQ Jr (editors). Maritime Law Perspectives Old and New. Nova Science Publishers; 2023. Volume 2.
Aziz D. Global public-private partnerships in international law. Asian Journal of International Law 2012; 2(2): 339–374. doi: 10.1017/S2044251312000148
Pitcher T, Kalikoski D, Pramod G. Evaluations of Compliance with the FAO (UN) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. University of British Columbia.
Backer H. Regional work on prevention of pollution from ships in the Baltic Sea—A paradox or a global forerunner? Marine Policy 2018; 98: 255–263. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2018.09.022
Segger MCC, Holmgren P, Wardell DA. Financing sustainable landscapes through innovative international economic law and governance instruments. Global Journal of Comparative Law 2018; 7(1): 169–205. doi: 10.1163/2211906X-00701008
Ma D, Ullah F, Ullah R, Arif M. An empirical nexus between exchange rate and China’s outward foreign direct investment: Implications for Pakistan under the China Pakistan economic corridor project. The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance 2020; 87: 224–234. doi: 10.1016/j.qref.2020.12.001
Cariou P. Is slow steaming a sustainable means of reducing CO2 emissions from container shipping? Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 2011; 16(3): 260–264. doi: 10.1016/j.trd.2010.12.005
Ikram M, Zhang Q, Sroufe R, Shah SZA. Towards a sustainable environment: The nexus between ISO 14001, renewable energy consumption, access to electricity, agriculture and CO2 emissions in SAARC countries. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2020; 22: 218–230. doi: 10.1016/j.spc.2020.03.011
Poplawski K, Setton E, McEwen B, et al. Impact of cruise ship emissions in Victoria, BC, Canada. Atmospheric Environment 2011; 45(4): 824–833. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.11.029
Hale TN. Transparency, accountability, and global governance. Global Governance 2008; 14(1): 73–94.
Asgari N, Hassani A, Jones D, Nguye HH. Sustainability ranking of the UK major ports: Methodology and case study. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review 2015; 78: 19–39. doi: 10.1016/j.tre.2015.01.014
Wahidim S. Oil palm industry, economic environment, and sustainable development environment. Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization 2015; 41: 84.
Camaya RC. The consent regime for marine scientific research in the Philippines. Ocean Law and Policy Series 2000; 4: 17.
Agrawal A. Sustainable governance of common-pool resources: Context, methods, and politics. Annual Review of Anthropology 2003; 32: 243–262. doi: 10.1146/annurev.anthro.32.061002.093112
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18686/jaoe.v11i1.9511
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
