The goal of zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 is impossible, said the head of the Union of Greek Shipowners on Friday.
Melina Travlos said the industry fell into a “trap” regarding decarbonization, carried away by Europe’s excessively and in many cases unrealistically ambitious goals. Her statement was in response to a question from Kathimerini at the UGS press conference during Posidonia 2026.
Europe, she noted, initially set its own regional measures, so that the International Maritime Organization was forced to follow suit by adopting global measures, which in practice are proving to be completely unfeasible for the industry.
Travlos told the media on the closing day of shipping’s biennial mega-event that while shipping accounts for only 1.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is called upon to bear a completely disproportionate financial and operational burden. She also clarified that the proposed net zero framework is in “completely the wrong direction,” expressing her strong concern that there is a risk that the IMO will turn into a purely “collection organization.”
The huge amounts that will be collected, she estimated, will not end up in research and development for environmental protection, but will be directed as simple financial aid to countries in Africa and island states. She did express satisfaction that, after the abstention Greece maintained in the vote last October, Europe itself is now beginning to understand that this specific regulation is practically incorrect and unenforceable.
