U.N. Shipping Agency Adopts New Rules On Emissions

LONDON -- The U.N. agency regulating international shipping has decided new cargo vessels must meet energy efficiency standards and cut carbon emissions.

The International Maritime Organization is requiring new ships contracted after 2015 be designed to reduce pollution from today's average, according to an efficiency index for ships of varying sizes and types.

The resolution was adopted Friday by 48-5 votes by the IMO's Environment Protection Committee meeting in London.

About 50,000 cargo ships carry 90 per cent of world trade, and most ships are powered by heavily polluting oil known as bunker fuels. Shipping is responsible for nearly three percent of global carbon emissions, but that is predicted to double or even triple by mid-century if no action is taken.