Green ship low-carbon development trend and countermeasures

90% of global trade is completed by sea, and the environmental pollution caused by ship shipping has been highly concerned by the international community. International conventions and related planning documents regulating environmental pollution and consumption reduction of ships have been issued successively, and standards and norms are increasingly stringent. Green and low-carbon has become an inevitable trend in the development of the ship shipping industry.

The research team of Academician Lin Zhongqin of the Chinese Academy of Engineering published the "Low-carbon Development Trend and Countermeasures of Green Ships" in the 6th issue of 2020 of the journal of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, "China Engineering Science". Based on the analysis of the preliminary carbon emission reduction strategy of the International Maritime Organization, the development status of Norway, Japan and the United Kingdom in the field of green ships was expounded. This paper summarizes the common advantages of foreign countries in promoting the development of green ships in terms of policy guidance, technical direction and international cooperation. Based on the development situation of domestic green ships, this paper puts forward suggestions on the development of green ships in China from three aspects: strengthening government leadership, formulating green ship development plans at the national and industry levels, laying out technical research, accelerating the market-oriented application process of ship alternative fuels, implementing open cooperation, and leading the development of international industries while enhancing core competitiveness.

I. Introduction

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the environmental problems brought about by the growth of the world economy have become increasingly serious. The international community has continued to pay attention to environmental pollution and protection issues, and the requirements for low-carbon environmental protection in various industries have also been increasing. A series of new international conventions, new rules and new standards have emerged, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aims to comprehensively control greenhouse gas emissions and address global warming. The Paris Agreement on arrangements for action to combat global climate change. The State of the Global Climate 2019 Statement by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms that the global climate continues to warm, with a series of chain reactions that are intensifying and moving further away from achieving the temperature control goals of the Paris Agreement. According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, it will take political will and urgent action by all countries in the world to achieve a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030 (compared to 2008) and zero emissions by 2050 [1].

90% of global trade is completed by sea, and the environmental pollution caused by ship shipping has been highly concerned by the international community. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been developing and issuing mandatory regulations to prevent ships from polluting the environment. In this context, the concept of green environmental protection came into being and was gradually accepted and recognized by the shipping industry, and the mode of green development of ships began to be deeply explored and explored. In this context, the concept of "green ship" is gradually clear, and the academic circle has more and more extensive and in-depth discussion on it. China Classification Society's definition of green ships has been widely recognized in China: green ships adopt relatively advanced technologies to safely meet predetermined functions and performance during their life cycle, while achieving improved energy efficiency, reducing or eliminating environmental pollution, and providing good protection to operators and users [2]. Although the academic community has not reached a complete agreement on the definition of the concept of green ships, it basically reflects the core meaning of the principle of green environmental protection, energy saving and emission reduction in the whole life cycle of ship construction and application, supported by advanced technology and new energy fuel development, and aimed at reducing and even eliminating environmental pollution.

In order to enhance the competitiveness of the industry, the world's major shipbuilding countries have actively formulated green ship development plans and carried out research on green ship technology. Since 1990, China has carried out relevant research on green ship technology, and has made some achievements in the research and development of high-efficiency and energy-saving ship types and hull construction. In order to better fulfill the international commitments on energy conservation and emission reduction, and accelerate the transformation and upgrading from a shipbuilding power to a shipbuilding power, China should seize the key window period for the development of green ships, and carry out planning and layout for the market-oriented operation of green ships as soon as possible. Based on the analysis of IMO carbon emission reduction strategy and the development of green ships abroad, this paper focuses on the ways to improve ship energy efficiency and accelerate domestic market application of green ships through carbon emission reduction.