85. The Future of Shipping

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is our third episode of an Outrage + Optimism investigative series on The Future of Transport.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With 2020 barely in the rearview mirror, the pandemic rages on across the globe, new variants bringing concern and unified collective action to the forefront as a rapidly developed vaccine begins being administered as we speed into 2021.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That same resolve needs to be applied to climate change and the sectors in most urgent need of decarbonisation. And this week, we dive into the future of sustainable shipping.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We rarely ever think about the things we buy as being transported by sea, but shipping has been the backbone of global economies for thousands of years and today accounts for 90% of world trade. It is responsible for 2-3% of global emissions which if it were a country, would put it on a par with Germany - the world’s sixth biggest emitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The challenge to decarbonise shipping is huge. With around 60,000 vessels currently in operation emissions are expected to be 50% higher in 2050 than in 2018.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So how to turn this ship around? Our hosts Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac, and Paul Dickinson speak to scientists, CEOs, politicians and pioneers committed to charting a course to a more sustainable shipping future.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">—</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Help us shape Season 3 of Outrage + Optimism by filling out our short</span> <a href= "https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OutrageandOptimism"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">listener survey</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">!  – Thank you!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen to the previous episodes of our miniseries here -</span> <a href= "https://globaloptimism.com/podcasts/the-future-of-transport/"><span style="font-weig