Listen to the fourth episode of the Port Cities and Maritime Cultures podcast series.
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The shipping industry is a heavy polluter and accounts for three per cent of global carbon emissions, but it is on the verge of transformative change. In this episode, , Fuels and Technology Lead at , discusses the potential of green solutions – from hydrogen and ammonia to the return of wind power. He says the UN’s target for the sector to reach net-zero around 2050 is achievable, though he cautions that action is needed urgently.
Dr McKinlay describes how energy transitions are nothing new when it comes to shipping, port cities and their workforces. In the nineteenth century, coal and steam power replaced sail as part of the first propulsion revolution at sea. He also shares research about the potential of ports in the Asia-Pacific region to adapt to green technologies, and outlines his hopes for the new Sail to Steam, Carbon to Green project funded by at the СÀ¶ÊÓƵ.