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Intersessional Working Group News

17 Mar 2024

Momentum Builds For a Universal GHG Price

Source: UMAS

The 16th Meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships concluded with some progress made on the finalization of mid-term measures, and without a decisive shift in the landscape of positions and preferences.This meeting was the first convening of the IMO following the adoption of the Revised GHG Strategy in July 2023.Although it was already agreed in the Revised GHG Strategy to adopt both a GHG Fuel Standard (a mandate on GHG intensity of fuel/energy)…

05 Jul 2023

UN Secretary-General Encourages MEPC 80 to Aim for Net-Zero

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a video message to MEPC 80 saying: “Humanity is in dangerous waters on climate, but the decisions you take over the coming days could help us chart a safer course."Science tells us it is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. But, it requires an immense and immediate global effort. And shipping, which accounts for almost 3% of global emissions, will be vital.”The industry must move much faster to get on track and drive investment and innovation…

03 Jul 2023

UMAS: IMO Intersessional Working Group Made Little Headway on GHG strategy

MEPC 80 Plenary (Source: IMO)

The fifteenth Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gases (ISWG GHG 15) that concluded last week left key details undecided, says advisory service company UMAS.The meeting was the final working group meeting before the 80th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) this week. MEPC 80 is a critical moment for the IMO because it coincides both with the adoption of a Revised GHG Reduction Strategy (Revised Strategy), as well as being the point that a set of policy measures key for enabling that strategy…

27 Jun 2023

Kitack Lim Tells GHG Strategy Group: Be Ambitious and Bold

Source: IMO

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has delivered a speech at the working group meeting on the revision of shipping’s GHG strategy.The Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 15) is meeting for five days before MEPC 80 meeting (3-7 July).There are two main themes: the finalization of the draft 2023 IMO strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships, and the further assessment and selection of measures, both technical and economic elements.Lim said: “You have already reiterated your commitment to finalize the revision of the initial strategy at MEPC 80.

19 Jun 2023

IMO to Review GHG Strategy and More at MEPC 80

MEPC 79 (Source: IMO)

The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) - 80th session will meet at IMO Headquarters in London from July 3-7, and amongst key agenda items, the MEPC 80 session is expected to adopt an upgraded IMO greenhouse gas strategy.The revised IMO GHG Strategy will contain concrete greenhouse gas reduction targets for the sector and is expected to outline a range of technical and economic measures. Negotiations have been ongoing and will continue during the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 15)…

30 Mar 2023

Headwinds Hamper the Poseidon Principles

Copyright Bojan/AdobeStock

The Poseidon Principles provide a platform for financing shipping’s sustainable future, but the technical guidance underpinning the initiative remains under scrutiny.In July 2023, the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) will consider revising the UN agency’s strategy on greenhouse gas emissions from ships. Moving on from a current target to reduce CO2 emissions from ships by at least 50% by 2050, based on 2008 levels,  influential administrations seek to accelerate towards net-zero or even zero by 2050.

22 Mar 2023

Headwinds for the Poseidon Principles

Copyright zwiebackesser/AdobeStock

The Poseidon Principles provide a platform for financing shipping’s sustainable future, but the technical guidance underpinning the initiative remains under scrutiny.In July 2023, the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) will consider revising the UN agency’s strategy on greenhouse gas emissions from ships. Moving on from a current target to reduce CO2 emissions from ships by at least 50% by 2050, based on 2008 levels, influential…

06 Sep 2021

Shipping Industry Proposes Levy to Accelerate Zero Carbon Future

Credit; diegocardini/AdobeStock

Leading shipping associations have proposed creating a global levy on carbon emissions from ships to help speed up the industry's efforts to go greener.With about 90% of world trade transported by sea, global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions and the sector is under growing pressure to get cleaner.For the first time, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and Intercargo jointly proposed a levy based on mandatory contributions by ships trading globally…

10 Aug 2020

IMO Updates Virtual Meetings Calendar

Š William / Adobe Stock

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published its remote meetings calendar for the rest of 2020 after its initial agenda of IMO Council and Committees sessions was scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.The first scheduled meeting is set to be a simultaneous, remote extraordinary sessions of all Committees (expected to be held 16-18 September), to address procedural matters. This follows decisions of the IMO Council's thirty second extraordinary session (summary here C.ES 32)…

01 May 2020

IMO Postpones More Meetings Due to COVID-19

(Photo: IMO)

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said its meetings scheduled to be held in July, including the next regular session of the IMO Council, have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the UN shipping agency moves to revise its meeting program for the remainder of 2020.The IMO said it  has drawn up a priority list of meetings to be considered by the Council at its 32nd extraordinary session that will be held by correspondence from May to July. This follows the 31st session of the Council that took place…

19 Oct 2018

Advance Information of Berths in Ports Can Cut Cost and Emission

If seagoing vessels were better informed about the availability of berths and adapted their speed accordingly, substantial savings could be made in terms of fuel and CO2 emissions. This conclusion is based on a study that was recently commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and research institute TNO.The study pointed out that if sea-going vessels are regularly kept informed – particularly during the last twelve hours before arrival – about exactly when their berth will become available, they will be able to adapt their sailing speed accordingly.That usually means reducing their speed so that they arrive just in time. This in turn leads to less fuel consumption and therefore lower emissions of unwanted substances such as carbon dioxide, sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides.

16 Oct 2018

Just-in-Time Ship Operations Can Cut Emissions

Reducing the amount of time ships spend waiting outside port and at anchor could significantly reduce ship emissions, according to studies carried out by members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) GloMEEP Global Industry Alliance (GIA).Ships can spend hours or days waiting at anchor outside ports, but providing ships with regular updates about the availability of berths, especially in the last twelve hours prior to port arrival, can support significant reductions in ship and port emissions.Implementing “Just-In-Time” ship operations means ships receive information in advance so they can time their arrival at the berth.

15 Oct 2018

IMO Calls for Tackling Greenhouse Gas Emissions

An intersessional working group to develop a programme of follow-up actions to International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Initial strategy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships opened at IMO Headquarters (15 October).The initial strategy, adopted in April this year, sets out a vision to continue to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping and phase them out, as soon as possible - in this century.The strategy provides clear direction to the shipping sector and its partners to stimulate investment in developing low- and zero-carbon fuels and innovative energy-efficient technologies.Opening the session, IMO Secretary…

08 Jul 2018

IBIA Promotes Sensible Approach to Sulphur Testing

International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) is continuing its efforts for IMO to adopt guidelines ahead of 2020 that will promote a uniform approach to fuel oil testing and reporting protocol for the verification of compliance with MARPOL Annex VI sulphur limits. Earlier this year, IBIA submitted two papers to the 5th session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 5) proposing a way ahead on sulphur testing and compliance verification. Both papers will be forwarded to a PPR intersessional working group (ISWG) taking place at the IMO in July. In PPR 5/12/1, IBIA proposes establishing appropriate guidelines for verifying the sulphur content in fuel oil samples taken from ships’ fuel systems (in-use samples).

11 Jul 2018

REGULATORY WATCH: The Global 0.50% Sulfur Cap: 30 months and counting down …

Industry frets about the coming deadline. Shipping desperately wants to be ready, but will global shore-based infrastructure and refining capacity match the demand that is sure to come? And … are regulators listening to industry’s concerns? In early June, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a public workshop in Washington to help the agencies prepare for the January 1, 2020 deadline for worldwide implementation of very low sulfur marine fuel that meets the new 0.50% sulfur cap as set forth by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

03 Jun 2018

Marshall Islands to Address Shipping Safety Concerns

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has submitted a paper to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Intersessional Working Group (ISWG) on the consistent implementation of the 2020 global fuel oil sulphur standard under MARPOL Annex VI. The submission, which was co-sponsored by the Republic of Liberia, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), and the World Shipping Council (WSC), is intended to assist the ISWG in developing guidelines on the implementation of regulation 14.1.3 of MARPOL Annex VI.

09 Apr 2018

ECSA Trusts that IMO Can Deliver an Ambitious Initial CO2

European shipowners strongly believe that the environmental committee of the IMO, MEPC, can reach an ambitious initial CO2 reduction strategy by the end of this week, building on the results of the meeting of the intersessional working group of last week. Realising that governments have to take and give during the negotiations, which will not be easy and requires courage to do, European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) is confident that ultimately all governments will realise that a deal has to be made. A deal based on the ambitious European approach, taking into account legitimate concerns of developing countries and of countries threatened in their existence by a rising sea level, is in the opinion of ECSA possible and necessary.

09 Apr 2018

Global Shipping to Adopt GHG Strategy

The adoption of an initial strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships is one of the key items on the agenda of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 72), which is now under way at International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters in London (9-13 April). The initial strategy will be a framework for all Member States, which is expected to set out the future vision for international shipping, the levels of ambition to reduce GHG emissions and guiding principles. Following discussions in an intersessional working group last week, the Committee is expected to instruct a working group to finalize the strategy for adoption. The Committee will also address the implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit.

03 Apr 2018

TI Blames IMO’s Weak Governance on Climate Change Action

Weak governance at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is delaying the shipping sector’s action on climate change, according to Transparency International. IMO is at risk of unresolved conflicts of interest due to shortcomings in its governance, according to preliminary key findings of a new study by Transparency International. Private shipping-industry concerns could have undue influence over the policymaking process at the IMO, concluded the anti-corruption organisation. This could undermine the UN agency’s ability to effectively regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from maritime trade. According to a report by the European Parliament, the shipping industry could contribute up to 17% of global CO2 emissions by 2050 if left unregulated.

05 Mar 2018

IMO/MARPOL Amendments Enter Into Force

Requirements for ships to collect data on their fuel oil consumption entered into force on 1 March. Other important amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) have also entered into force, covering the classification of garbage, including the addition of a new category of “e-waste”, and amendments to the International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate. The ship fuel oil consumption data reporting requirements are the latest mandatory requirements aimed at enhancing the energy efficiency of international shipping. The data collection will begin on 1 January 2019 with data reported at the end of each calendar year to the International Maritime Organization (IMO)…

21 Sep 2017

European Shipowners Discuss Emissions Reductions

In the European Shipowners’ seminar on CO2 reductions in the shipping industry one message was clear: in order to achieve CO2 reductions across the world merchant fleet, a combination of different measures is needed. “In our seminar this week, we discussed with our stakeholders and European decision-makers different measures that enable to minimise the environmental impact of the shipping sector. In one analysis, the measures were divided in categories including the Technical and operational measures, Alternative fuels and Logistics related to the speed management of a vessel”, explained Tor Christian Sletner, the Chairman of European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA)’s Air Emissions Working Group and Director, Head of Environment of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.

25 Oct 2017

IMO Contests ‘Corporate Capture’ Report

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim (Photo courtesy of The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure)

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim issued a statement refuting a report recently published by U.K.-based InfluenceMap that accuses shipping industry organizations of lobbying to obstruct environmental regulations at the IMO. “Recent media reports have questioned the transparent, inclusive approach adopted by all stakeholders with an interest in addressing the threat of climate change through the IMO, the global regulator of shipping, and the body most able to deliver uniform, global solutions in the spirit of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

30 Oct 2017

Progress in Developing GHG Strategy

The second meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships (23-27 October) has made progress in starting to shape a draft initial IMO GHG strategy including refining the vision for IMO, which will express IMO's further commitment to reducing GHG emissions from international shipping. While the structure of the strategy has been largely agreed, the detailed text to be included is still under discussion. A wide range of detailed proposals were put forward for inclusion in the draft initial strategy. These included those relating to the vision, levels of ambition, guiding principles, candidate measures, barriers and supportive measures and follow up actions.