Shipbuilding, shipping industries agree on steps to carbon neutrality
A Hyundai Heavy Industries LNG vessel / Courtesy of Hyundai Heavy IndustriesBy Baek Byung-yeulWith extreme weather events such as floods, heat waves and polar vortex leakages hitting the planet, attention is shifting towards achieving carbon neutrality in many industry sectors, and the shipbuilding and shipping industries are no exception.At the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) meeting in June, members of the UN unit that supervises regulations for the shipping industry, agreed on measures to reduce ships' carbon dioxide emissions by 2 percent per year between 2023 and 2026.The IMO has set a goal of reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent and 50 percent, respectively, by 2050, compared to their levels in 2008. The agreement is the first plan detailing the steps to reduce these emissions.Following the strengthening of environmental regulations, Korean shipbuilders are accelerating their efforts to develop eco-friendly ships, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels and related technologies, taking this trend as a new business opportunity. Shipp
