Global marine environmental problems will be at the top of the agenda for the governors of the world shipping industry, who are meeting at the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (Meeting No. 82) in late September / early October.
Top of the agenda – as ever in the current environment – is tackling climate change by cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions from ships. At MEPC 82, work will continue on drafting a legal framework to include “mid-term” anti-climate change measures in the air pollution annex (Annex VI) to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (which is known in the industry as “MARPOL”).
Mid-term measures
The “mid-term” measures fall into two groups. The first is “a technical” measure, which will be some kind of global marine fuel standard that will regulate the phased reduction of a marine fuel’s greenhouse gas intensity.
The second is an “economic element,” which will be some kind of pricing mechanism.
There are many different proposals for the technical and economic elements.
MEPC 82 will discuss the findings a comprehensive impact assessment, which is based on complex modelling of different combinations of the technical and economic measures.
Short-term measures
Work reviewing the “short-term” energy efficiency measures continues. The two main short-term measures require ships to annually measure their energy efficiency (the “Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index”) and their ongoing intensity of carbon emissions as related to transport work done (the “carbon intensity indicator”). MEPC 82 will begin the analysis of submissions from member countries and industry groups, which have been gathering data. Analysis will be undertaken as part of MEPC 82 then, between MEPC 82 and 83 (scheduled for Spring 2025), a working group will work on a review. A further group will be set up at MEPC 83 and there will be a view to adopting any necessary amendments to relevant instruments.
