Statement from Clean Shipping CoalitionToday’s commitment by governments to require international shipping to decarbonise and at least halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is a welcome and potentially game changing development, the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) has said. But the lack of any clear plan of action to deliver the emissions reductions, including urgently needed short-term measures, is a major concern, according to the group of NGOs[1] with observer status at the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
The first difficult week of talks on an interim greenhouse gas strategy for shipping saw little progress towards a final outcome with some deep divisions and much work remaining, sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E) has said. EU states and a ‘high ambition’ coalition called for countries meeting at the International Maritime Organisation to agree emissions reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris agreement. But progress was blocked by a vocal minority composed of developing and flag states.
A call by the shipping industry [1] for governments to compromise on ambition ahead of key UN discussions to reduce maritime emissions actually abandons the goals of the Paris agreement, sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E) has said. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) meets from 3-13 April to adopt an initial greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy for the shipping sector.
EU member states’ decision to support a 70-100% reduction in maritime greenhouse gas emissions worldwide by 2050, compared to 2008 levels, has been welcomed by sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E). However, pressure from the major EU shipping nations saw the EU’s common position, agreed last Friday, being made less firm and more aspirational than what the high-ambition EU countries and environmental groups initially called for. [1] The member states will attend a meeting of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) from 3-13 April to adopt an initial GHG strategy for the shipping sector.
After several attempts to act on ship greenhouse gas emissions, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) finally agreed in 2016 on a seven-year GHG Roadmap (work programme) to discuss and agree on measures to address shipping’s climate impact. The organisation is meeting in London this April 3-13 to agree an initial GHG strategy as part of its GHG Roadmap. This paper outlines what T&E believes that stratedgy should contain.
European ambition to clean up the shipping sector’s greenhouse gas emissions is being led by Germany, Belgium and France, a new ranking shows. The top three, followed by the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and then the UK, Denmark, Luxembourg and Finland, were the most active in pushing for an effective climate plan to be agreed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN’s shipping body. The ranking, based on written and oral submissions to the IMO by EU countries, was compiled by sustainable transport NGO Transport & Environment (T&E).
The IMO is expected to adopt in April 2018 an Initial GHG Strategy to address shipping’s climate impact. T&E has carried out research to rank EU member states in terms of the ambition of their declared national positions in the run-up to the IMO climate negotiations.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has moved a step closer to banning the carriage of high-sulphur fuels. The ban, if approved, would make it much easier to enforce the new sulphur standard for marine fuels from 2020.
