International Chamber of Shipping puts forward plans for global carbon levy

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has set out a proposal for a global levy on carbon emissions from ships, in what would be a first for any industrial sector.

The association, which represents the world’s national shipowner associations and more than 80% of the merchant fleet, presented a submission to the UN, calling for an internationally accepted market-based measure to accelerate the uptake and deployment of zero-carbon fuels.

According to papers handed to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the levy would be based on mandatory contributions by ships trading globally, exceeding 5,000 gross tonnage, for each tonne of CO2 emitted.