The success of international trade has brought various challenges, with the main one being the rise in carbon emissions. Trade is responsible for nearly a quarter of global carbon emissions, and around 25% of the 32 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions that enter the earth’s atmosphere every year are associated with the production and transportation of goods.

As international trade continues to produce a significant amount of carbon footprint, experts are attributing the rising figures in carbon emission to freight volume.

Freight Volumes

The global trade transport model is the system that facilitates the movement of all goods in international trade. The entire system uses GIS data and covers all the main roads, seaports, highways, rail stations, airports, and routes. As the global demand for goods and services continues to increase, exporters are utilizing transportation services more and more.

Inevitably, this has led to an increase in carbon footprint. So the big question remains: how is the shipping and export industry tackling this problem?

Addressing the Issue of Carbon Footprint

Though they might not seem obvious, there are practical solutions out there that could help lower carbon emissions in international trade. However, stakeholders in the export and import industry must first reduce the scale and speed of trade. Currently, international climate agreements have already excluded emissions from aviation, shipping, and trading policies. There are also emerging technologies and "trade tech" providing alternative eco-friendly transportation modes.

Here are some other steps to consider taking when trying to reduce the trade industry’s carbon footprints:

Shortening global supply chains
Reducing carbon-intensive trucking
Limiting trade liberalization to deter high carbon emissions
Encouraging the research and development of cleaner and environmentally-friendly energy sources

In order to curb carbon emissions in international trade, it is vital to design policies in line with supply chains that promote efficiency. International and national policies need to have the same agenda and ensure that exporters have the means and resources to meet expectations.

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