About APRI
APRI – Africa Policy Research Institute is a Berlin-based, independent, non-partisan African policy institute researching key policy issues affecting the African continent. Its goals are to provide input to the German and EU policy-making processes on Africa and options on key policy issues to African stakeholders. To do this, APRI taps into the expertise of African intellectuals, scholars, and networks, collaborating with a wide range of organizations at home and abroad to conduct policy research that looks beyond prevailing narratives and transcends disciplinary hegemonies to center Africa.
About the role
APRI now seeks to engage a short-term consultant for a research project on the maritime shipping tax in Africa. The Program seeks to understand the multi-dimensional impact of a shipping tax and identify the trade-offs required within countries and among African countries to facilitate a common negotiating position.
About the role
APRI now seeks to engage a short-term consultant for a research project on the maritime shipping tax in Africa. The Program seeks to understand the multi-dimensional impact of a shipping tax and identify the trade-offs required within countries and among African countries to facilitate a common negotiating position.
Scope of work
On 7 July 2023, members of the International Maritime Shipping Organisation (IMO) met to discuss new global targets for the reduction of the shipping industry’s GHG emissions. While many governments and advocacy groups hoped to secure a deal on a maritime shipping tax, as suggested inter alia in the Paris Summit on Climate Finance, the negotiations were inconclusive due to concerns around the impact of such a tax on the global South and particularly Africa and South America.
While South America’s position was based on financial modeling, African countries did not have the required disaggregated data, based on more recent GDP figures, that could support them in making a cost-benefit analysis of the specific implications of a maritime shipping tax. Such data and analysis could bridge the divergent interests and internal trade-offs that will need to happen within Africa itself – and by extension, the African position in the IMO as well as the UNFCCC negotiations within the context of the loss and damage finance discussions.
Indeed, although no African country spoke at the IMO negotiating session in July 2023, not all of the continent’s countries are in agreement on the course of action. Most of them are concerned that the tax may undermine food security due to the continent’s overreliance on food imports – as, according to the African Union, it currently imports about 40% of its food, with an annual food import bill standing at [US$60 billion/year](https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/june-2023/transforming-africa’s-food-systems-challenges-and-opportunities#:~:text=Africa’s food import bill is beyond %2460 billion a year.) according to the United Nations. In a context in which trade barriers have contributed to increased costs of food, it becomes important to assess the impact of new measures that could in effect constitute trade barriers.
A few African countries do see an opportunity in the introduction of the tax, seeing it as an opportunity to develop their maritime fuel industry primarily using green hydrogen. Even with this ambition, most of them also have similar concerns about food security. They will therefore need to better understand the tradeoffs, especially in light of current low levels of investment in their energy sectors, something that would need to go up significantly if such ambitions were to be realised. In addition, several countries have expressed concerns regarding the governance issues around a global tax. Such issues would also need to be addressed before countries could consider backing a maritime tax.
With policy decisions in regions such as the EU, which will incorporate shipping under the ETS as of 2024, the drive for an international tax will only increase. The proposed consultancy will investigate the multi-dimensional impact of a shipping tax based on data analysis. The consultant will model the potential impact of a tax on the economy and food security in African countries using machine learning prediction models.
Main task and deliverables
Conduct a literature review that answers the following research questions:
- Which regions have introduced measures related to maritime shipping taxes? (e.g. Eu: Emission Trading System Tax)
- Where shipping tax measures have been introduced, how can they be used according to the legal framework?
- What type of measures have been proposed so far to reduce the shipping industry’s GHG emissions?
- Collect data on the emissions reduction impact of proposed maritime shipping measures.
- Review available documents and analysis related to the WTO rule and other multilateral agreements on the introduction of these measurements
- Review other related literature on the impact of such measures on Africa, including on food security and international trade.
- Review available data on the potential market benefits from the shipping levy? E.g. potential increase in demand for shipping fuels (globally)
Deliver a well-documented database of the research papers or reports included in the review. This should include the:
- Research question(s) addressed in the paper
- A short summary of findings
Qualifications
- Graduate-level qualification in Economics, Data Science, Development Studies, or in a similar field
- Availability to work for the next 2 months
- Proven track record as a research assistant
- Knowledge of public climate policies (desirable)
Competencies
- Attention to details
- Ability to distill and summarize key information from lengthy and technical documents
- Good writing skills
- Good communication skills
Please apply on the official website using the link(s) below
Apply here
