The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has outlined the succeeding measures to deliver the strategy on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships with the approval of a program of follow-up actions.
The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73) approved October 22 the follow-up program intended to be used as a planning tool to meet the timelines identified in the initial IMO strategy, which was adopted in April 2018.
The initial strategy refers to a range of candidate short-, mid- and long-term measures to be considered by IMO. Short-term measures could be finalized and agreed between 2018 and 2023; mid-term measures, between 2023 and 2030; and long-term measures, beyond 2030.
The program of follow-up actions provides agreed timelines for specified streams of activity towards the adoption of a revised IMO strategy in 2023. Feeding in the process leading to the adoption of the revised strategy will be the data collection system on fuel oil consumption of ships over 5,000 gross tons, which begins on January 1, 2019; and a fourth IMO GHG study, to be initiated in the first half of 2019.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said the program of follow-up actions “sets a clear signal on how to further progress the matter of reduction of GHG emissions from ships up to 2023.”
“The planning exercise to implement the Initial Strategy up to 2023 is now behind us. It is time to take a step further,” he said.
Specifically, the streams of activity identified in the program of follow-up actions include candidate short-term measures that can be considered and addressed under existing IMO instruments; candidate short-term measures that are not work in progress and are subject to data analysis; candidate mid-/long-term measures and action to address the identified barriers; impacts on states; Fourth IMO GHG Study, set to be initiated in 2019; capacity-building, technical cooperation, research and development; and follow-up actions to develop the revised strategy, which is set to be adopted in 2023.
The MEPC 73 is meeting from October 22 to 26 to deliver the IMO initial strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, approving a program of follow-up actions. It will address the implementation of the 0.50% sulfur limit. From January 1, 2020, the limit for sulfur in fuel oil used on board ships operating outside designated emission control areas will be reduced to 0.50% m/m (mass by mass). MEPC 73 is expected to approve ship implementation planning guidance as well as best practice guides for member states/coastal states and for fuel oil suppliers.
The committee is also expected to adopt an amendment to prohibit the carriage of non-compliant fuel oil (except when ships are fitted with measures such as exhaust gas cleaning systems or “scrubbers”).
A working group is also set to meet during the current MEPC session, to discuss, in particular, the scope of the planned Fourth IMO GHG Study.
Photo courtesy of IMO
