The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been actively working on several technical and operational measures to combat greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships. Here are some of the ongoing developments:
1. 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships
- Vision: The strategy aims to phase out GHG emissions from international shipping as soon as possible.
- Goals: It includes a goal to reduce carbon intensity by at least 40% by 2030 and to increase the uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies, fuels, and energy sources to at least 5% by 2030.
- Net-Zero Ambition: The strategy also sets a target to achieve net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping by or around 2050.
2. Goal-Based Marine Fuel Standard
- Technical Element: This involves regulating the phased reduction of marine fuel’s GHG intensity.
- Implementation: The goal is to develop and finalize a basket of candidate measures, including a goal-based marine fuel standard.
3. Maritime GHG Emissions Pricing Mechanism
- Economic Element: This involves creating a pricing mechanism to incentivize the reduction of GHG emissions from ships.
- Implementation: The mechanism aims to support the adoption of cleaner technologies and fuels.
4. Capacity Building and Technical Assistance
- Support Programs: IMO executes comprehensive capacity-building and technical assistance programs to support the implementation of these measures.
- Global Projects: These programs include a range of global projects to help member states adopt and implement the new regulations.
5. Net-Zero Framework
- Draft Regulations: The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is advancing talks on proposed regulations for cutting GHG emissions from ships.
- Framework Goals: The draft net-zero framework aims to achieve the enhanced ambitions set out in the 2023 IMO Strategy.
These ongoing developments reflect IMO’s commitment to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 and the 2015 Paris Agreement to cut GHG emissions