Major setback for shipping's climate work

According to a survey of how Covid-19 has affected shipping almost half of the European Community Shipowners’ association ECSA do not believe that they have the opportunity to continue making investments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Only 26 percent of the shipping companies believe that they will invest as much as before to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, while 30 percent believe they will continue to do so, but to a lesser extent. The rest, 44 percent, see no opportunity at all.

ECSA's survey, which was conducted at the end of April, shows that the impact of the Coronora pandemic on the European shipping economy is enormous. For example, only 11 percent of the survey participants believe that they will be able to renew and make investments in their fleets in the same way as before, while 52 percent do not see that it can happen at all.

The survey shows large losses, redundancies and closures. With the exception of tankers, all other segments reported significant immediate losses. The worst-hit segments are ferries, cruises, car carriers and offshore service vessels. The turnover decrease reached higher than 60%.

One of the less reassuring results that emerged from the report is the lack of national, regional or local measures put in place against liquidity issues or that these are not applicable to the shipping industry. In the case where measures exist, banks do not offer those options in practice; and when they do, the administrative burden and costs outperform the benefits.

Read the report here