Australian-Japan Iron Ore Route, Portugal-Brazil Route, Alaska-British Columbia-Washington Cruise Route, Japan-Singapore Route
The Benefits of Maritime Green Shipping
Green shipping is a concept that encompasses procedures to decrease emissions and energy consumption. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions, which affect the environment and climate.
A number of routes are promising candidates for green corridors. The Australia-Japan iron ore route has a simple stakeholder environment and strong political collaboration, making it a likely candidate for decarbonisation.
The Australia-Japan iron ore route
The route between West Australia and East Asia is one of the world’s largest dry bulk routes, responsible for more than 22 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually. This prefeasibility study outlines the benefits of a green corridor, including significant savings for miners and other shipping companies that would shift to using zero-carbon fuels.
The report recommends that shipowners and fuel producers collaborate to pool demand, bridge the cost gap for zero-carbon fuels and vessels, and de-risk stakeholders’ investments by building partnerships among shipowners, steelmakers and miners. Mechanisms such as a corridor-specific book-and-claim system could also mobilise demand, enabling cargo owners to share the additional cost of shifting to greener vessels.
The global transition to zero-emission shipping will be complex for a number of reasons, including the scale of the logistics chain and national policies that would have to change. But we can shrink the challenge into a manageable size by creating limited-impact green corridors between major port hubs to pilot solutions. The two routes that this report analyses — the Australia-Japan iron ore route and the Asia-Europe containership route — prove that such a strategy is feasible and can accelerate decarbonisation for the industry.
The Portugal-Brazil route
Portugal and Brazil have long been linked by bidirectional migration flows. Contemporary Portuguese migrant flows to Brazil are structured by the same factors as earlier waves of emigration.
In the fifteenth century, Portugal’s Crown began a shift from a crusading and looting-centric approach to new territories to one based on trade. The Crown also created a system of territorial grants, known as captaincys, which obliged nobles to develop land and administer ports on the coast.
The new wave of emigration to Brazil coexistes with a previous contingent that arrived in the 50s and 60s. Both groups are well integrated in the city of their choice and organised as migrant communities with social clubs and economic associations that defend community business interests.
The route benefits from a recently signed MoU that liberalises the bilateral air services agreement. The MoU eliminates capacity and tariff restrictions and enables airlines to establish codeshares and fifth freedom rights with each other.
The Alaska-British Columbia-Washington cruise route
Seattle is a popular departure point for cruises to Alaska, and the local economy benefits from this influx of tourists. The city is a modern hub with a vibrant local wine industry, iconic Space Needle and Pike Place Market.
However, the cruise route also brings its share of environmental challenges. Reuben Cash, an environmental coordinator with the Wei Wai Kum First Nation in Skagway, points to one such challenge: higher levels of PM 2.5 pollution around the ship.
This is due to the fact that most cruise ships sail round-trip from Seattle. This means that a cruiser like the Oceanic Topaz will add more than 200 tonnes of trash to the region’s Hartland Landfill, which is the equivalent of 100 fully loaded garbage trucks. This is in addition to the waste generated by other passengers. Thankfully, more cruise lines are offering one-way repositioning cruises from Vancouver to Seattle at the beginning and end of an Alaska season.
The Japan-Singapore route
One of the best ways to travel from Japan to Singapore is by ship. You can book a voyage departing Tokyo and arriving in Singapore for just over five days, with ships sailing on the route 2-4 times a week.
Another option is to fly from Singapore to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. Several airlines offer direct flights, but if you’re looking for cheap tickets, it’s worth including nearby airports in your search — these can often result in better prices.
The Skytrax 5-star ANA is a top choice on the Singapore-Tokyo route, offering some of the world’s finest economy and first class experiences. Its fellow Japanese airline, JAL, and low-cost Scoot also have great options. Alternatively, you can book an indirect flight on a number of Asian carriers, many of which fly through Hong Kong, Bangkok, Hanoi or Shanghai. This can save money, but it adds hours to the journey.