The study presented by IMO has not taken into account the effects of Covid19, nor the great impact it is having on maritime transport, although it analyses its short-term effect and states that it is difficult to make longer-term forecasts... The World Trade Organization estimates that demand for maritime transport will fall by 15 to 30 per cent in 2020.

As reported Puerto Canarias In the period 2008 to 2018, maritime trade grew by 40% and absolute greenhouse gas emissions decreased by about 5%. This decoupling has been possible due to the significant improvement in the carbon intensity of maritime transport (carbon emissions per transport unit) which was 30% lower in 2018 than in 2008. This is one of the many elements that make maritime transport the most environmentally friendly mode of transport.

However, the study shows that improvements in the energy efficiency of ships powered by conventional fuels will not be sufficient to eliminate carbon emissions completely. Developing zero-emission technologies remains essential to achieve the IMO agreed target of reducing absolute emissions by 50 per cent by 2050. The proposal put forward by the shipping sector itself to set a fuel tax to provide a fund that will boost the necessary R & amp; D effort has precisely this objective.