'Carbon-Free and Low-Carbon Sea Routes' Open... World's First 'Green Shipping Route Special Act' Proposed

Assemblyman Mundaerim Introduces Bill as Primary Sponsor

Cargo is stacked on a container ship docked at Busan Port. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

As global interest in establishing green shipping routes to achieve carbon neutrality rises, a bill has been introduced domestically for the first time in the world to explicitly support the establishment of green core shipping routes.

On the 4th, Moon Dae-rim, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea from Jeju-si Gap and a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee, announced that he had taken the lead in proposing the "Special Act on Supporting the Establishment of Green Shipping Routes (Green Shipping Route Act)" to achieve carbon neutrality in the shipping sector.

The Green Shipping Route Act defines a green shipping route as a shipping route connecting two or more ports using zero-carbon or low-carbon vessels. It includes provisions to support financial and fiscal assistance for infrastructure construction and related technology research and development, support for training specialized personnel, and exemption from preliminary feasibility studies related to green shipping route construction projects.

Green shipping routes have recently become a focus of interest in the shipping and port industries. According to Climate Solution, more than 40 green shipping route plans have been announced worldwide. Decarbonization of the shipping sector is a key task for achieving carbon neutrality. The global shipping sector accounts for 3% of total carbon emissions. Last year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) declared its goal to achieve carbon neutrality in the international shipping sector by 2050. To this end, the IMO plans to announce mid-term measures early next year.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is also promoting the establishment of green shipping routes with the United States. A green shipping route crossing the Pacific Ocean from Busan Port and Ulsan Port to Seattle and Tacoma Ports in the United States is scheduled to open in 2027.

Although South Korea depends on maritime transport for 99.7% of its import and export cargo volume, it still relies on fossil fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). In LNG-powered vessels, in addition to the boil-off gas (BOG) released into the atmosphere during LNG combustion while sailing, methane slip occurs, which is methane leaking from the engine without combustion. Methane is the second most influential substance on global warming after carbon dioxide.

During the process of proposing the Green Shipping Route Act, Representative Moon Dae-rim collaborated with the climate-focused civic organization Climate Solution, conducting joint research and review. Yeom Jeong-hoon, team leader of Climate Solution, said, "Green shipping routes are significant because they prevent carbon emissions not only within a country but also during navigation throughout the entire export-import process between countries," adding, "We highly welcome the introduction of this bill."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.