IMO Moves Forward on GHG Reduction Plans

The work to deliver the IMO initial strategy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships has moved forward with the approval of a program of follow-up actions during Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73) this week.

The program of follow-up actions is intended to be used as a planning tool in meeting the timelines identified in the initial IMO strategy, which was adopted in April 2018.

The initial strategy refers to a range of candidate short-, mid- and long term measures that will be considered by IMO. Short-term measures could be finalized and agreed between 2018 and 2023; mid-term measures, between 2023 and 2030; and long-term measures, beyond 2030.

Feeding in to the process towards adoption of a revised Strategy in 2023 will be the data collection system on fuel oil consumption of ships over 5,000 gross tons, which begins on January 1, 2019; and a fourth IMO GHG study, to be initiated in the first half of 2019.

The program of follow-up actions provides agreed timelines for specified streams of activity.  

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said  the program of follow up actions “sets a clear signal on how to further progress the matter of reduction of GHG emissions from ships up to 2023. The planning exercise to implement the Initial Strategy up to 2023 is now behind us. It is time to take a step further.”

The Committee invited concrete proposals for short-term measures to be submitted for the next Committee session, MEPC 74 (May 2019). Mid and long-term measures will also be considered in MEPC 74 and and also MEPC 75. 

A working group is set to meet during the current MEPC session, to discuss, in particular, the scope of the planned Fourth IMO GHG Study. The working group is expected to report back to the plenary session at the end of the week.