Canada’s Roadmap to Green Shipping | Decarbonization Goals and Maritime Innovations

Canada's humongous maritime transportation sector plays a vital role in the country’s economy. But the ever-evolving industry needs to ensure that it is not only not impacting the climate but is also taking steps to preserve and protect it, and decarbonization is a crucial part of the Canadian government’s climate action plan. So, what makes Canada one of the leaders in green shipping? The answer is strategic investments and a forward-looking emissions reduction plan.

A recent study, by Arup and Lloyd’s Register, has revealed that Canada, with its investments in tech that would aid in meeting its 2050 carbon neutral target, has boosted the nation’s chances of being one of the pioneers in the decarbonization space.

Canada’s Emissions Reduction Targets

Simply put, the country is in the league of nations standing with the IMO that aims to reach net zero carbon emissions in the global shipping sector by the year 2050. 

To facilitate the path, Canada also came up with a national 2030 Emissions Reduction Action Plan two years ago. Herein, the industry has the objective of reducing emissions by 40-45%, below 2005 levels, by the year 2030.

The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act “created a legally binding process to set 5-year national emissions-reduction targets and develop credible, science-based emissions reduction plans to reach these targets,” Transport Canada highlighted.

Green Shipping Corridors: A Key Initiative

As far as emission mitigation from individual vessels is concerned, the Canadian Green Shipping Corridors Framework comes into play. At least six green shipping corridors, as part of an international agreement Clydebank Declaration that Canada signed in 2021, will be seen by 2025. The zero-emission maritime routes between ports or “Green shipping corridors are an important part of this process as they can help speed up how we develop, test and use scalable net-zero fuels and technologies,” writes Transport Canada. Fundamentally, these corridors mean reduced shipping emissions through cleaner fuel use and efficient routes.

Regional Efforts in British Columbia

Did you know that Canada is responsible for emitting lesser than 2% of global greenhouse emissions globally? But that is not as impressive as British Columbia (BC) in Canada having one of the lowest carbon intensity grids world-wide, which is majorly powered by hydroelectricity.

It is ports like those of Halifax, Prince Rupert, and Vancouver that are investing, through grants and on their own, on purchasing and deployment of advanced technologies to enhance the ports’ decarbonization efforts. These equipment include zero-emission electric mobile harbor cranes, shore power, and crane charging devices. There are also talks of developing low/zero-emission energy pathways at the three ports.

By 2030, the Vancouver Port aims at reducing the release of harmful pollutants by up to 50%, as compared to the 2005 levels.

The recent study also found out the Port of Vancouver has the capability to meet the 2040 energy demand in the Port of Prince Rupert. This can be foreseeably achieved through its 200 ktpa green methanol plant which has the capability to capture carbon.

Future-Proofing Canadian Ports

While challenges remain in scaling up low-carbon technologies and ensuring industry-wide adoption, the aforementioned initiatives, among other plans surrounding clean infrastructure underway, signal a clear commitment to reducing maritime emissions.

While the next decade is critical in translating these efforts into measurable environmental and economic outcomes, things are looking up for Canada!

As Canada advances its decarbonization roadmap, maritime technologies play a pivotal role in ensuring transparency and operational efficiency. Oceanaut, a comprehensive maritime software solution, supports these efforts by enabling precise tracking of vessel GHG emissions, fuel consumption, and voyage performance. With advanced analytics and reporting tools, Oceanaut helps shipping companies align with international environmental standards while optimizing operational efficiency and mitigating pollution. To know more, check out https://albatrossmarine.ca/oceanaut.