Global shipping and the climate crisis –
The elephant in the room
Most economies in the Asia Pacific region rely on maritime transport for imports and exports.
Australia relies on sea transport for 99% of our exports and the Australian economy is absolutely dependent on shipping. While Australia once had a thriving manufacturing sector, the embrace of neoliberal free trade policies by successive federal governments saw the collapse of most local manufacturing. So Australia is also heavily reliant on shipping for the delivery of many consumer products that support our current standard of living.
But maritime transport is a huge polluter. According to the World Bank, if the shipping industry were a country, it would be the world's sixth-largest greenhouse gas emitter.
Port areas in Australia concentrate shipping activities in relatively confined coastal locations, resulting in a greater incidence of pollution from dredging, spills, waste disposal, exchange of ballast water, noise and air pollution. We know that shipping exposure within marine parks is likely causing long-term effects to Australian marine ecosystems and its marine life. And the fuels used in shipping are especially destructive for the atmosphere: many ships in the global fleet still rely on “bunker” fuel – the gunky, tar-like substance left behind after oil is refined. Cargo shipping is responsible for roughly as much carbon each year as the global aviation industry. Working out how to limit those emissions has been difficult.
The speakers
Please join us for a presentation and discussion on the impacts of international and regional shipping issues, and the important policy and organizing happening in this space with Jase Hatcher from Friends of the Earth US.
Freja Leonard, No More Gas campaign co-ordinator with FoE Melbourne, will discuss the campaign against shipping hydrogen produced from brown coal from Victoria to Japan.
Chloe Aldenhoven, campaigns co-ordinator with Friends of the Earth Melbourne will facilitate the event.
Details on the event
Wednesday September 25
This event will happen in person at the Friends of the Earth office in Naarm/ Melbourne, and online. If you rsvp we will send a link for the meeting before the 25th.
In person venue:
The Yami Lester room
Level 1,
Friends of the Earth
312 Smith Street, Collingwood.
(Unfortunately this room is not wheelchair accessible).
About Jase
Jase Hatcher (she/her) is a Senior Campaigner on the Oceans Team at Friends of the Earth US focused on shipping. She is a dual resident of the US and Aotearoa (New Zealand) and spent most of her adult life living and working in Aotearoa, South Korea, and Ecuador. Jase is committed to leading transformative policy and systems reform alongside communities most impacted by climate change worldwide, with a special focus on the Arctic and Pacific regions.
