Approximately what percentage of global GHG emissions come from shipping?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks: Approximately what percentage of global GHG emissions come from shipping?

Option presented: c. About 2-3%

To evaluate this, consider what the global greenhouse gas emissions include and how shipping fits in. Shipping is a relatively small but non-trivial contributor compared with sectors like energy production, industry, and road transport. Estimates for shipping typically place its share in the low single digits to the low double digits depending on the methodology and what is counted (CO2 only vs. CO2-equivalent including methane and nitrous oxide, and whether land-based emissions linked to fuel production are included).

Why the range 2-3% can be plausible: several commonly cited figures place shipping around a couple of percent of total global emissions. This reflects the significant fuel use by large fleets and the international nature of shipping, while still being much smaller than major energy-intensive sectors like power generation. The exact percentage can vary with the year, accounting methods, and whether upstream emissions from fuel production are included.

Why this answer might be considered correct:
- It aligns with widely reported ballpark estimates that ship emissions contribute a small but meaningful fraction of global GHGs.
- It avoids overstating the impact, which would risk placing shipping on par with top-emitting sectors.

Why other, unseen alternatives could be misleading (in general terms):
- If an option claimed shipping accounts for a much higher share (e.g., around 10% or more), that would overestimate due to not properly accounting for cross-border and land-based emissions, or double-counting.
- If an option claimed shipping’s share is negligible (near 0%), that would underestimate the known fuel burn and emissions from international shipping.
- If an option suggested a precise figure outside the commonly cited 2-3% range, it might reflect a specific study or a different accounting method, but it would not represent the broader consensus without clarification.

In summary, given the common range used in policy discussions and scientific assessments, the choice stating about 2-3% is a reasonable and defensible representation of shipping’s share of global GHG emissions.

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Approximately what percentage of global GHG emissions come from shipping?

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