Thesis title:
Data politics in the governance of greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping
About the project:
If you take a quick look around you, most of the material objects in your room have been transported on a ship—the coffee in your mug, the mug itself or the clay that was used to make it, your computer, the books on your shelf, the material used to assemble the shelf, and so on. International shipping is the backbone of the global economy. However, international shipping also contributes substantive emissions to air and discharges to sea. Governing emissions from international shipping is complex, as ships that engage in international trade cross multiple jurisdictions and can be owned by a company in one country, managed by a company in another, and registered in a third country.
This thesis examines the role and politics of data in the governance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. In April 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations specialized agency, adopted an ‘Initial Strategy’ for reducing GHG emissions from international shipping. At the time, the strategy presented a sea change in the global governance of GHG emissions from this sector. This thesis has followed closely the work on turning this Initial Strategy into concrete emission reduction measures in the period 2018-2023. Based on observant participation in IMO climate negotiations, document analysis and interviews, this is an in-depth study of the relations between data and governance of shipping emissions over time, examining a sector and international organization that have so far received very little attention in the social sciences. At a time when evidence-based and ‘data-driven’ policymaking have become increasingly prevalent at all scales of governance, the four articles in this thesis shed light on how, where and when data are produced and used matter for the governance of GHG emissions from international shipping.
Thesis supervisors:
Professor Susanne Bauer, TIK - Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo
Asun Lera St.Clair, Climate Change Lead, Group Digital and Development, DNV
Magnus Strandmyr Eide, Principal Consultant, Maritime Advisory, DNV
Commentator:
Professor Silke Beck, Department of Science, Technology and Society, Technical University of Munich
About Kjersti Aalbu:
Kjersti Aalbu is an externally funded PhD candidate at TIK. This seminar marks the final evaluation prior to submission of her dissertation.
Kjersti holds a MSc in international political economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2009). She is a senior researcher in Environment Advisory in DNV Maritime Advisory, focusing on regulatory issues related to greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. Kjersti has also worked as a senior researcher in the climate change group in DNV’s research department. Before joining DNV in 2012, she worked as a project manager at the Principles for Responsible Investment in London.
The PhD project is funded by DNV and The Research Council of Norway through the Industrial PhD scheme.
How to participate
The seminar is open to everyone. Please register by sending an email to Lara Kristiansen l.b.l.kristiansen@tik.uio.no by 29 April 2024.
Click here to join online via ZOOM.
The manuscript is available upon request. Please send the request to Kjersti Aalbu kjersti.aalbu@dnv.com.
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