ABSTRACT
East Asia is witnessing a rapid increase in international trade volume owing to globalization. In the 20 years from 1993 to 2013, Japan’s total imports grew by a factor of 3.5, and those of China and Korea grew 18.8 times and 6.2 times, respectively. In tandem with this increase, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fuel consumption have increased. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), GHG emissions resulting from international shipping accounted for 2.7 percent of global GHG emissions in 2007, a figure equivalent to Germany’s total GHG emissions. In addition, the IMO predicts that, in the absence of policies, CO2 emissions from international shipping will increase by a factor of two to three in 2050 compared with those in 2007 (IMO, 2009).
