Towards maritime transport decarbonisation in developing countries: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Driven by landmark international treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to decarbonise the maritime transport sector, particularly international shipping, by or around 2050. This systematic literature review provides a comprehensive assessment of the progress, rationale and challenges related to maritime transport decarbonisation, with a particular focus on developing countries. The review finds that operational and technical measures are more readily implemented, especially at the ship-port interface. The wider use of market-based/economic and energy-related measures, however, is offering the sector increased opportunities to reduce its emissions. The emergence of these measures is observed through the lens of policy and regulatory initiatives as well as industry-led practices. The review also points out long-standing tensions between the sector's core climate-governance principles, problems with assigning responsibility across jurisdictions, gaps in technology and infrastructure, limited finance, weak coordination and institutions, and an adaptation gap for developing countries. The review posits that developing countries are not simply "lagging" but rather engaging in unique and context-specific decarbonisation pathways compared to developed countries. The review further expands the discussion on the deep adaptation concept by applying it to developing countries. This concept demonstrates its utility as an important framework for addressing systemic climate vulnerability and the challenges linked to incremental mitigation strategies, such as localised shipping and resilient port development.