The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is pleased that progress has been made at the 17th meeting of the IMO Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, but says that much more needs to be done.
An ICS statement reads: “We are committed to working with Member States over the coming days and months to ensure a transparent, equitable and workable solution is agreed to deliver on the IMO decarbonisation strategy.
“Positively the concept of a universal GHG contribution by ships per tonne of CO2e emitted remains firmly on the table, with strong support from a clear majority of IMO Member States. There is broad agreement, as advocated by the shipping industry, about the need to reduce the cost gap with conventional marine fuel oil to incentivise a rapidly accelerated uptake of zero/near-zero GHG fuels, so that achievement of net zero emissions by or close to 2050 remains plausible and possible.
“Notwithstanding this strong support for a universal GHG contribution or something similar, ICS acknowledges the legitimate questions about this form of maritime GHG emissions pricing mechanism among some governments such as China and Brazil.”
ICS says that when these complex negotiations resume at IMO’s MEPC82, it will continue to work with governments on all sides of the debate to find a workable solution that can enjoy broad consensus support when the package of new GHG reduction regulations for international shipping is approved by IMO in 2025.
