IMO gives strong signal to the shipping industry to start decarbonizing

The environmental committee of IMO decided at its 72th meeting to adopt an initial strategy on the reduction of Green House Gases (GHG) emissions from ships. This strategy sets out levels of ambition to reduce GHG emissions on a pathway to full decarbonisation, consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals.

ECSA fully supports the initial strategy. ‘This is a very important signal for the shipping industry and the maritime cluster to work full steam ahead to reduce GHG emissions. The ship is launched and on its voyage for a strong and sustainable future of the shipping industry and the world’, said Panos Laskaridis, President of ECSA.

Martin Dorsman, Secretary General of ECSA said: ‘The shipping industry is now the first global sector with concrete figures for the reduction of GHG emissions. And also that the ultimate goal is full decarbonisation is an achievement for which the IMO should be commended’.

The shipping industry is also committed to discuss and analyse short term and medium term GHG reduction measures, to select and implement effective and efficient measures as soon as possible.

This agreement secures that the issue will be regulated globally and clearly demonstrates that regional initiatives for international shipping are not needed.

The global shipping industry sent a number of submissions to IMO with its suggestions for an initial strategy. During the deliberations the global shipping industry expressed several times its support for an ambitious strategy.

The levels of ambition as set by the IMO are:

1. Carbon intensity of the ship to decline through implementation of further phases of the energy efficiency design index (EEDI) for new ships
   Review with the aim to strengthen the energy efficiency design requirements for ships with the percentage improvement for each phase to be determined for each ship type, as appropriate;
2. Carbon intensity of international shipping to decline
   To reduce CO2 emissions per transport work, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008; and
3. GHG emissions from international shipping to peak and decline
   To peak GHG emissions from international shipping as soon as possible and to reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 whilst pursuing efforts towards phasing them out as called for in the Vision as a point on a pathway of CO2 emissions reduction consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals.

Source: ECSA (European Community Shipowners’ Associations)