You can strangle the source of fossil fuels, or cut off demand. NewScientist reports (9 April 2016):
Last December’s Paris deal on climate change agreed national limits on emissions from power generation, land transport and deforestation from 2020. But it left untouched fast-rising emissions from aircraft and shipping. Meetings being held this month could change that.
The aviation industry is holding the last set of regional discussions this week aimed at finalising a deal to cap its emissions from 2020. Airlines will either have to improve engine efficiency and convert to biofuels, or offset emissions by investing in reforestation projects.
No mention of electric aircraft, though. Airbus is working on them, albeit in small steps:
The electric E-Fan training aircraft is a highly innovative experimental demonstrator based on an all-composite construction. Airbus Group Innovations (AGI) intends to mature the aircraft for pilot training in four to five years, while also using it as a platform for understanding the potential of electric propulsion. The E-Fan is a key element in Airbus Group’s electric aircraft roadmap. This strategy outlines a step-by-step approach for Airbus Group’s short-, medium- and long-term development of electric planes.
Elon Musk has also made some noise on this front, and given his record of achievement, he’s worth taking seriously, as Quartz discovered:
When asked to reveal his “next great idea” during a brief Q&A session this week, Musk answered: “Well I have been thinking about the vertical takeoff and landing electric jet a bit more. I mean, I think I have something that might close. I’m quite tempted to do something about it.”
Shipping is a harder nut to crack, but in 2012 Treehugger reported on a planned sailing ship fleet, by Ecoliner:
Fair Transport’s founders Andreas Lackner, Arjen van der Veen, and Jorne Langelaan have for three years been sailing an old brig, the Tres Hombres, to demonstrate that sustainable wind-powered shipping is possible. But the trio would also like to offer the shipping world a fleet of high-tech sailing ships that can carry dozens of industrial containers while being navigated by a slim crew, and reducing container ship pollution – in other words, be economically and environmentally sustainable.
Fair Transport hopes the higher cost of building this ship can be amortized over its 30-year lifetime via lower fuel costs.
The Ecoliner is estimated to have a top speed of 18 knots, and when speeds drop below 12 knots it needs the assistance of an electric motor.
However, finding news concerning the Ecoliner is not easy, but seems to indicate they did not hit their 2013 schedule; they garner a puzzling mention here. While the thought of returning to sail for moving cargo has a certain romantic allure, whether it’ll actually work is another question. If it doesn’t, the price of foreign goods will go up as fossil fuels are restricted either legally or economically, and while this may benefit local manufacturers, it does slow down the progress necessitated by competition. Depending on who you are, these can all be bad or good.
Meanwhile, Green4Sea reports on the climate change goals of the mainstream shipping industry:
Shipping is the lifeblood of the global economy without which intercontinental trade, the bulk transport of raw materials and the import/export of food and manufactured goods would not be possible. About 90% of world trade is carried by sea and shipping is already by far the most energy efficient mode of commercial transport. Shipping is therefore part of the solution to preventing climate change.
Proportionate to its 2.2% share of the world’s total CO2 emissions, international shipping accepts its responsibility to contribute to the CO2 reduction measures being taken by the global community.
