Greenhouse gas emissions from the international maritime transport of New Zealand's imports and exports

• Published in: Energy policy Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 1521 - 1531
• Main Authors: Fitzgerald, Warren B., Howitt, Oliver J.A., Smith, Inga J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2011; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Series: Energy Policy
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air pollution caused by fuel industries; Applied sciences; Carbon dioxide; Carbon emissions; carbon footprint; Cargos; Climate change; Consumption; Economic data; Emissions; Emissions control; Energy; Energy consumption; Energy economics; Energy policy; energy use and consumption; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Estimation; Exact sciences and technology; Export-import trade; exports; Fossil fuels and derived products; Fuel; Fuels; Gas industry; General, economic and professional studies; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gas emissions; Greenhouse gases; Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction; imports; International maritime transport; International maritime transport Greenhouse gas emissions New Zealand international trade; international policy and programs; International trade; Inventory; Liability; Marine and water way transportation and traffic; Maritime; Maritime industry; Metering. Control; New Zealand; New Zealand international trade; Oil; Policies; Pollution control; Sea traffic; Sea transport; Studies; Transport; Transportation; New Zealand; Japan, Honshu, Kyoto Prefect., Kyoto; New Zealand international trade; International maritime transport; Greenhouse gas emissions
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2010.12.026

Greenhouse gas emissions from international maritime transport are exempt from liabilities under the Kyoto Protocol. Research into quantifying these emissions is ongoing, and influences policy proposals to reduce emissions. This paper presents a cargo-based analysis of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from New Zealand's international maritime transport of goods. Maritime transport moves 99.5% (by mass) of New Zealand's internationally traded products. It is estimated that 73% of visiting vessels' activity can be directly attributed to the movement of goods in and out of New Zealand. A cargo-based methodology was used to estimate that the international maritime transport of New Zealand's imports and exports consumed 2.5 million tonnes (Mt; 2.6 billion litres) of fuel during the year 2007, which generated 7.7Mt of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Double-counting of emissions would occur if a similar method was applied to all New Zealand's trading partners. In contrast, since few large vessels refuel in New Zealand, the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory listed 2007 international maritime transportation emissions as 0.98Mt of CO2, calculated from fuel bunkered for international transport. The results, therefore, show a significant difference between activity-based and bunker-fuel methodologies in quantifying New Zealand's emissions. International policy implications are discussed. ► Cargo-based analysis of GHG emissions from New Zealand's international maritime transport of goods. ► 7.7Mt of CO2 estimated from international maritime transport of NZ's 2007 imports and exports. ► 73% of visiting vessels' 2007 activity attributed to the movement of goods in and out of NZ. ► The results were significantly different from NZ's GHG Inventory bunker-fuel derived emissions figure. ► Detailed approach for international transport emissions regional/national assessments described.