Decarbonising the Shipping Sector

The trade and movement of goods and resources is the engine that drives global economic growth and, with it, prosperity. Shipping represents the life blood of this process, where over 50,000 ships are key to the movement of around 90% of world trade. The growing shipping sector is calculated to be responsible for around 2.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and these are forecast to rise by between 50% and 250% by 2050 as the sector grows to facilitate global trade.

Emissions from shipping are often not considered or even accounted within carbon budgets and targets. However many of the goods and materials required to maintain daily life will have contributed to the global shipping sector's emissions.

The aim of this project is to explore the feasibility of alternative forms of energy and fuels for the future shipping sector, and to map Manchester's shipping emissions footprint. These aims will be pursued in partnership with industrial partners. The objectives are to develop a roadmap for the decarbonisation of UK shipping, and to identify actions which cities like Manchester could implement to reduce the footprint of their shipping emissions. Specifically, the project will:

- Assess current regulations and technologies available to be implemented to decarbonise the shipping sector;
- Analyse the technical, social, environmental and economic feasibility of potential options for decarbonisation, for example fuel choices (biofuels, ammonia, and others) and other technologies;
- Use existing tools to evaluate the overall feasibility of each option in a multi-criteria assessment. Approaches may include life cycle assessment, social life cycle assessment, life cycle costing and sustainability assessment; and
- Identify actions that could be taken in Manchester and the surrounding region to decrease emissions associated with Manchester's shipping needs.