Nations Strike Historic Deal to Curb Shipping Emissions 減少船運碳排放 各國達成歷史性協議
TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字
1. shipping industry phr. 航運業
2. carbon emissions phr. 碳排放
3. heavy fuel oil phr. 重油
4. rising sea levels phr. 海平面上升
5. container ship phr. 貨櫃船
Most of the world’s nations agreed to an historic deal that for the first time will limit emissions from the global shipping industry. 全球多數國家已達成了一個歷史性的協議，首次對各國航運業進行排放的限制。
After a week of negotiations at a London meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN body, envoys from 173 countries agreed to cut emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 from 2008 levels. Saudi Arabia and the US both objected. 聯合國專門機構國際海事組織在倫敦舉行的會議中，來自一百七十三個國家的特使經過了一週的談判，同意在二○五○年前，將排放量減少至二○○八年基準的百分之五十以下。沙烏地阿拉伯和美國皆表示反對。
The accord is a significant step in the fight against global warming. Shipping, the only industry not included in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, would rank as the sixth-largest greenhouse gas emitter if it were a country, according to the World Bank. If left unchecked, that share could account for 15 percent of global carbon emissions by 2050, a five-fold increase from today. 這個協議是對抗全球暖化所踏出的重要一步。在二○一五年巴黎氣候協議中，航運是唯一未納入規範的產業。根據世界銀行統計，如果把整個航運產業算作是一個國家，那麼它會是全球第六大溫室氣體排放國。如果放任不管，到了二○五○年，航運業的碳排放量可能會佔全球總量的百分之十五，比現今增加五倍。
“It is likely this target will tighten further, but even with the lowest level of ambition, the shipping industry will require rapid technological changes,” said Tristan Smith, a reader at University College London’s Energy Institute. 倫敦大學學院能源研究所高級講師崔斯坦‧史密斯表示：「這個標準很可能會變得更嚴，但即使是要達到最低限度的目標，航運業也需要趕快革新技術。」
Vessels typically burn heavy fuel oil, one of the cheapest but also among the dirtiest fossil fuels. The industry wasn’t included in the Paris agreement because each country presented an individual plan to reduce their own emissions, while the seas were left out. 船舶所燃的通常是重油，這是最便宜，也是最髒的化石燃料之一。航運業之所以未納入巴黎協議，是因為巴黎協議是以國家為單位提出計畫來減少境內的碳排放，因此海洋便成三不管地帶而被遺漏了。
Last Friday’s agreement commits to pursuing emission cuts that will be consistent with the Paris deal goals. 上週五各國所達成的協議承諾將致力減少碳排放，這和巴黎協議的目標是一致的。
Hot Issue 熱議問題
Reducing the industry’s emissions has been a hotly contested issue. One of the most vociferous proponents of emission controls have been the Pacific island nations, where rising sea levels are already swallowing up land, and the rate is expected to increase in the coming decades. 減少航運業的碳排放一直是爭議激烈的問題。最大力提倡限制碳排放的是太平洋島國──由於海平面上升，這些島國已有土地沒入海中，預計未來幾十年土地被海水淹沒的速度還會加快。
Other countries have resisted targets. Oil producing nations including Saudi Arabia have expressed concern about the impact of the measures on their fuel supply business, while some countries have said controls could penalize those that are far from the world’s main consumer hubs. 有些國家則抵制這碳排放的標準。包括沙烏地阿拉伯在內的石油生產國擔憂這些措施會對他們的燃料供應產業造成衝擊；另有一些國家表示，控制措施可能會對距世界主要消費中心遙遠的國家不利。
This isn’t the first time the IMO has tried to be cleaner. 這並非國際海事組織第一次要讓環境變更乾淨。
Six years ago, the organization adopted design requirements to make new vessels more energy efficient. More than 70 percent of container ships built between 2013 and 2017 exceed the standard, which sets limits on carbon emissions per ship, according to analysis from Transport & Environment, a Belgian NGO. 六年前，國際海事組織採用了新的設計標準，使新造的船更加節能。根據比利時非政府組織「運輸與環境」分析，二○一三年至二○一七年間所建造的貨櫃船，有百分之七十以上的船隻，其碳排放量低於所規定的限度。
“The IMO should and could have gone a lot further but for the dogmatic opposition of some countries,” said Bill Hemmings, shipping director at Transport & Environment. “Scant attention was paid to US opposition. So this decision puts shipping on a promising track.” 「運輸與環境」的航空及海運部門主任比爾‧漢明斯表示：「若不是因為某些國家獨斷的反對，國際海事組織本應可以做得更多。」「美國的反對並未被重視，因此這個協議得以達成，把航運推向有前景的正途。」
(Bloomberg台北時報林俐凱編譯)
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