Maritime transport and the climate change challenge

At the opening session, the Acting Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD stressed that, unless action were taken urgently, climate change would pose an enormous threat and challenge for humankind, particularly for the poorest populations, with Africa and small island developing States (SIDS) being probably the hardest hit.

In the light of compelling scientific evidence and potential economic, social and environmental losses that might be caused by climate change, the potential costs of inaction in relation to climate change were difficult to contemplate.

International maritime transport, a backbone of the world´s globalized economy, was playing a part in contributing to climate change but, importantly, was also itself likely to be directly and indirectly impacted by the various climate change factors such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events and rising temperatures.

The Acting Deputy Secretary-General further noted that adaptation in maritime transport was crucial and in this context, a better understanding of the potential climate change impacts and of the associated costs and funding mechanisms was necessary.

Measures to address the global economic slowdown and financial crisis could be framed to meet the twin objectives of helping the world economy recover as well as spur a "green new deal" in support of climate change policy action, including in maritime transport.

Experts were called upon to consider the various challenges arising from the global economic, financial, environmental, and development context, as well as from a maritime transport perspective.

Given the time-frame for the adoption of a comprehensive deal on climate change at the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen and in support of the current work on a maritime transport regime under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), experts were invited to give thoughtful consideration to the various perspectives that may be presented at the meeting, so as to gain a clearer understanding of relevant actions required.