The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has voted to accept the ‘2023 IMO Strategy on Reducing GHG Emissions from Ships’ at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80). This new policy includes more aggressive objectives for reducing harmful emissions from the shipping industry, to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping by 2050.
The new plan relies on the International Maritime Organization’s continuing efforts to minimize GHG emissions from international shipping. The imperative to phase out these emissions while ensuring a just and equitable transition for all nations is central to this plan.
One of the strategy’s key targets is to enhance energy efficiency in new ships, which will eventually lead to a reduction in carbon intensity. Furthermore, it seeks to reduce CO2 emissions per transport work by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 2008 levels, according to an IMO news statement.
Increased adoption of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies, fuels, and energy sources is a critical component of the approach. The objective is for these sources to account for at least 5% of the energy consumed in international shipping by 2030, with a target of 10%.
In terms of measurable results, the strategy offers two possible milestones for achieving net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping: a 20-30% decrease in total yearly GHG emissions by 2030 and a significant 70-80% reduction by 2040, both relative to 2008 levels.
To attain these lofty aims, the plan offers a combination of technological and economic methods. These include developing a standard to govern the gradual decrease of marine fuel’s GHG intensity and implementing a price system for maritime GHG emissions.
However, the plan recognizes the potential effects of these policies on states and urges for rigorous assessment and necessary changes before implementation. Developing nations, notably LDCs and small island developing states (SIDS), have been recognized as needing special attention.
Proposals for capacity-building, technical collaboration, and research and development efforts supplement the strategy’s major principles. A schedule up to 2028 is also provided, opening the path for the implementation of revised GHG reduction measures and an updated IMO GHG Strategy for 2028.
“The adoption of the 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy is a watershed moment for IMO, ushering in a new era of maritime decarbonization.” At the same time, it is not the final objective; rather, it is a beginning point for the effort that must be intensified even more in the years and decades ahead of us.
“However, with the revised strategy that you have now agreed on, we have a clear direction, a shared vision, and ambitious targets to guide us in delivering what the world expects from us,” said Kitack Lim, secretary-general of the IMO.
