Mitigation and moving towards low carbon waterborne transport infrastructure

This hybrid (in person at ICE in London, UK, but also online) afternoon seminar will introduce the recent PIANC technical note on Managing Climate Change Uncertainties in Selecting, Designing and Evaluating Options for Resilient Navigation Infrastructure and highlight the issues we are addressing in another forthcoming publication, on making the business case to adapt

In addition to introducing the Guidance Note, speakers will:

Present international case studies on the application of climate change scenarios, and on the need to prepare for unprecedented conditions

Summarise the results of a recent survey on the costs and consequences of extreme weather events for ports, andExplore how and why port and waterway operators should make the business case for investment in adaptation and strengthened resilience.

You can find out more and register for the event here.

The recent IPCC report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (IPCC, 2022) highlights the ‘dire consequences’ of failing to adapt to climate change.  The IPCC makes clear that urgent action is needed to adapt infrastructure – including port and navigation infrastructure and operations – and to strengthen their resilience.

But climate change emphasises existing uncertainties and introduces new ones ... and these uncertainties have potentially significant ramifications for those involved in navigation infrastructure design, evaluation and investment.  What steps can therefore be taken to accommodate these uncertainties while avoiding unintended adverse consequences such as increased future vulnerability, diminished well-being or elevated greenhouse gas emissions?

This new PIANC PTG CC Technical Note, downloadable at https://www.pianc.org/publications/envicom/ptgcc-1 aims to help project owners, designers and financiers deal with climate change uncertainties – not only in relation to the selection, design and evaluation of options for new waterborne transport infrastructure, but also the maintenance or modification of existing assets.

It explains that future climate scenarios can be used, with sensitivity testing, to accommodate uncertainties such as how quickly changes in temperature, precipitation, sea level, wind, waves and associated physical processes will take place; their magnitude; and whether and when critical thresholds will be crossed.   It cautions against relying only on past data to predict low probability future events for long-life or high investment infrastructure, and explains the value of considering unlikely-but-plausible scenarios when making major, long-term investments. It also stresses the need to prepare for the ‘unprecedented’, including for joint occurrences and cascading failures.

The Note offers an insight into the critical role of adaptive and flexible solutions including ‘no-regret’ options, and it highlights why non-structural (e.g., operational, institutional) as well as structural interventions should be assessed. It focuses on the use of monitoring to inform decision-making (adaptive management). Finally, it stresses the importance of selecting option evaluation methods that recognise and accommodate uncertainty.

This Technical Note complements and supplements PIANC’s Working Group 178 report, Climate Change Adaptation Planning for Ports and Inland Waterways (2020) available at https://www.pianc.org/publications/envicom/wg178 

International shipping is a vital industry, facilitating global trade and transporting people around the world. At the same time, it produces greenhouse gas emissions – comparable in scale to industrialised nations such as Germany or Japan - and is a significant source of air pollution.

Urgent action is required to reduce emissions in a sustainable manner. The production, supply, and use of alternative fuels – many of which are linked to the hydrogen economy - are essential to this aim.

A new Arup, Lloyd's Register and The Resilience Shift report explores the opportunities and challenges associated with developing infrastructure for alternative fuels. Focusing on a case study of a green shipping triangle in the Atlantic Ocean, it outlines the critical role of ports as a bridge between low carbon energy infrastructure and decarbonised vessel fleets.

The report explores the infrastructure required for low carbon fuel supply, demonstrating the significant scale required even for initial projects, highlighting the need for an integrated approach to their development. The report frames how a Total Value approach to these initial projects can unlock significant co-benefits, strengthening their case for investment.

Download the report

The 2022 Working Group II report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, entitled Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, presents “a dire warning about the consequences of inaction” according to the Panel Chair*. Insofar as waterborne transport infrastructure is concerned, the report highlights ports' vulnerability to sea level rise and flooding; their susceptibility to disruption and damage due to changes in wind, wave, heat or fog characteristics; and the potential for less obvious but still important impacts such as those associated with microbiological corrosion of steel marine structures. Low flows will lead to reduced navigability and increased closures of some inland waterways;but extreme high flows or surface water flooding will affect others.

Many sections of this report are relevant to the wider waterborne transport infrastructure sector.  An overview of the full report is provided in the Summary for Policy Makers but of note, Chapter 6 focuses on human settlements and infrastructure; Chapter 16 on key risks across sectors; and 17 on Decision Making Options for Managing Risks.

These can all be downloaded from https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/

*Press Release https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/resources/press

An article by the Climate Champions' Ocean Lead, Ignace Beguin Billecocq and Shipping Lead Katharine Palmer, writing with Susan Ruffo (UN Foundation) highlights the shipping industry's role in eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, building the resilience of communities and infrastructure, regenerating natural ecosystems, and leaving no one behind.

"The shipping industry’s transition to zero emissions can and should deliver on all of these challenges". Read how at https://racetozero.unfccc.int/transforming-shipping-for-climate-people-and-nature/

UNCTAD's 2021 review of maritime transport has been launched.

This publication, prepared by the UNCTAD secretariat, aims to foster the transparency of maritime markets and to analyse relevant developments. While there were far-reaching implications for seafarers during the period covered by the report, the publication concludes that maritime transport on the whole defied the COVID-19 disruption. In 2020, volumes fell less dramatically than expected and by the end of the year had rebounded, laying the foundations for a transformation in global supply chains and new maritime trade patterns. The required response to the climate change challenge is also covered in the following 'priorities for action' identified:

1. Vaccinate the world

2. Revitalize the multilateral trade system

3. End the crew-change crisis

4. Vaccinate seafarers

5. Facilitate crew changes

6. Ensure reliable and efficient maritime transport

7. Mainstream supply chain resilience, risk assessment and preparedness

8. Control (freight) costs

9. Decarbonise

10. Climate-proof maritime transport

Read more at https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/rmt2021_en_0.pdf

In November 2021, the UK hosted COP26, the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Glasgow, Scotland. Contracting parties to the Convention met to assess progress towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

‘Adaptation and Resilience’ was a priority of the UK COP26 Presidency. Ports, like other forms of transport infrastructure, are potentially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, particularly extreme weather. If the sector is to be well-prepared to face these changes, urgent action is needed to adapt infrastructure and to improve the climate-resilience of both assets and operations.

In order to help promote such action, Navigating a Changing Climate Supporters held a workshop in Glasgow at the COP26 International Maritime Hub on 3-4 Nov, aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences and the sharing of good practice. Presentations from port practitioners around the world were followed by participative panel discussion sessions.

Amongst others, the workshop included speakers from ports in the UK, USA, Argentina, Canada, South Africa, Spain, The Netherlands, Dubai, Malaysia and Australia.

In addition to the video recordings, the programme and presentations can be downloaded below.

In November 2021, the UK hosted COP26, the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Glasgow, Scotland. Contracting parties to the Convention met to assess progress towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

‘Adaptation and Resilience’ was a priority of the UK COP26 Presidency. Ports, like other forms of transport infrastructure, are potentially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, particularly extreme weather. If the sector is to be well-prepared to face these changes, urgent action is needed to adapt infrastructure and to improve the climate-resilience of both assets and operations.

In order to help promote such action, Navigating a Changing Climate Supporters held a workshop in Glasgow at the COP26 International Maritime Hub on 3-4 Nov, aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences and the sharing of good practice. Presentations from port practitioners around the world were followed by participative panel discussion sessions.

Amongst others, the workshop included speakers from ports in the UK, USA, Argentina, Canada, South Africa, Spain, The Netherlands, Dubai, Malaysia and Australia.

In addition to the video recordings, the programme and presentations can be downloaded below.

COP26 in Glasgow is just around the corner with various events of relevance to the ports and navigation sector, for example:

- on 2 and 3 November, a conference organised by the UK ports entitled ‘Practical climate change adaptation solutions for ports’.  It is a hybrid (in person and online) event, free to attend, with port speakers from around the globe.  You can find details and register at https://www.maritimeuk.org/imh-2021/imh-events/adaptation-solutions-ports/

- on 8 November, the launch of the ‘Sediment Management and Climate Change’ pledge.  This important output of the SedNet-NavClimate workshop in February 2021 and the follow up EnviCom-NavClimate workshop in September 2021, is now open for endorsement on the SedNet website at https://sednet.org/climate-change-and-sediment-management-pledge/.  The pledge is potentially relevant to many in the navigation and dredging sectors, so please take a look, and if you share our ambitions – endorse the pledge!  The more signatories we have, the more impact we can have...

- a programme of maritime events at the International Maritime Hub - see https://maritimeuk.org/imh-2021/

- a programme of wider transport sectors events - see https://slocat.net/cop26/

Climate Change and Sediment Management Pledge.

Climate change is an existential threat.  In the lead up to COP26, commitment to tackling the climate and ecological emergencies has never been greater. There is a need for urgent action, across all sectors, to decarbonise – while at the same time strengthening resilience and adapting to the changing climate.

Sediment managers – scientists and researchers, water managers, port and waterway operators, flood protection managers and similar, as well as those in the dredging and construction sector – all have an important role to play.

Sediments are an integral part of aquatic systems, the building block for natural habitats and an inherent component of many ecosystem services.  Sediments and their associated aquatic habitats – blue carbon stocks – also play a vital role in sequestering and storing carbon.

An outcome of the virtual workshop ‘Sediment management opportunities to address the climate change challenge’ hosted by Navigating a Changing Climate and SedNet (https://sednet.org/) is an ambitious but realistic – and very necessary – Sediment Management and Climate Change Pledge.

SedNet and the NavClimate partners ask organisations that recognise the importance of these issues and the need to work with these critical, inter-related natural processes, to endorse the pledge, and to work with us to identify and deliver solutions that benefit not only climate and nature, but also society and economy.

Many organisations are already (in the process of) endorsing this pledge. If your organisation is committed too and wish to have their logo added to the Pledge, please contact the SedNet Secretariat, confirming your endorsement of the Pledge and providing:

- your organisation’s name and logo

- the name and position of the person making this pledge

- your contact details if different from the above

The Pledge was launched on 8 November 2021 during COP26.