Every year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrates World Maritime Day in London. A parallel event is being held in New York City on 16-18 October. We are co-hosting the event along with the Department of State, EPA, NOAA, and MARAD. We are honored to have Dr. John Holdren, President Obama's Science Advisor, deliver the keynote address. Local events recognizing World Maritime Day will be hosted in ports around the country (Portland, Maine; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Jacksonville, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Port Arthur, Texas; Duluth, Minnesota; and Honolulu, Hawaii).
The theme for this year's event is "Climate Change". Environmental changes are impacting maritime shipping along with many other sectors of the economy. Today, international shipping comprises 80% of global trade and 3% of global emissions. However, we are expecting the volume of shipping to increase over the next several decades. If we didn't make any changes, emissions could rise by 250% over the next 40 years. The time to act is now and we are doing just that.
We are working with the IMO to reduce shipboard greenhouse gas emissions and we're also addressing the impact of increased shipping on the Polar regions. We're "greening" the Coast Guard by producing more efficient ships and implementing renewable energy projects at our major shore-based units. In November, I will lead the U.S. delegation to the IMO's General Assembly where we hope to advance these climate change initiatives along with our international partners.
I encourage you to get involved on World Maritime Day because each one of us can have a positive impact on our environment.
I posted a video on the CGDN and on YouTube:
