- The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) future emissions strategy calls for a reduction in total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of at least 50% by 2050.
- IMO has set a long-standing mandate to contribute to the fight against climate change by addressing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
- The Organization has come up with regulations and pathways to carbon emissions reduction onsistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals.
With the 2020 sulphur cap under its belt, the International Maritime Organization is now focused on slashing marine greenhouse gas emissions globally – with a timeline of objectives recently brought forward to 2022, reports Dredging and Ports.
Cleaner and Greener shipping
Emissions from ships exhausts into the atmosphere can potentially be harmful to human health and cause acid rain and may also contribute to global warming.
To ensure that shipping is cleaner and greener, IMO is engaging in a two-pronged approach towards addressing GHG emissions from international shipping: through regulatory work, supported by capacity-building initiatives.
Future emissions strategy
The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) future emissions strategy calls for a reduction in total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of at least 50% by 2050 compared with 2008 – and simultaneously pursuing efforts to ban them entirely.
Firstly, IMO has adopted regulations to address the emission of air pollutants from ships and has adopted mandatory energy-efficiency measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from international shipping, under Annex VI of IMO’s pollution prevention treaty (MARPOL).
And secondly, IMO is engaging in global capacity-building projects to support the implementation of those regulations and encourage innovation and technology transfer.
In April 2018, IMO adopted an Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships.
Agenda for Sustainable Development
This phased strategy includes a specific reference to a pathway of CO2 emissions reduction consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals, along with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
It should be noted that CO2 is not the only GHG on the agenda: IMO defines five other worrisome gases: methane, nitrous oxide (NOx), hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride.
It also points to other substances that may contribute to climate change, including black carbon.
In pursuit of the strategy, and toughening requirements, IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) approved the following amendments during its 74th meeting in May 2019:
- Initiation of a fourth GHG study by IMO.
- Encouraging co-operation with ports to reduce emissions.
- Approval of an impact assessment procedure for proposed new measures.
- Establishment of a multidonor GHG trust fund to provide a dedicated source of financial support for technical co-operation and capacity-building activities.
- Terms of reference for the sixth (November 2019) and seventh (March 2020) intersessional working groups to expedite the work.
Controlling air emissions
IMO regulations to address air pollutants from international shipping, particularly sulphur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), have been successful in lowering the amount of those pollutants being emitted from ships.
There are global caps, with more stringent requirements in Emission Control Areas or ECAS. Currently, there are four ECAS designated by IMO:
- Baltic Sea area (SOx only);
- North Sea area (SOx only);
- North American area (SOx, NOx and PM); and
- United States Caribbean Sea area (SOx, NOx and PM).
In SECAS, the sulphur cap is 0.10% m/m (mass/mass). Outside SECAS, the global sulphur cap will be cut to 0.50% from 1 January 2020 (from 3.5% m/m currently).
Limiting SOx emissions from ships will improve air quality and protects the environment.
MARPOL Annex VI regulations to restrict air pollution from ships were first adopted in 1997. A revised Annex VI was adopted in 2005 and it entered into force in 2010, phasing in a progressive reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) from ships and further reductions in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from marine engines.
Energy-efficiency requirements
IMO is the only organization to have adopted energy-efficiency measures that are legally binding across an entire global industry, applying to all countries.
IMO has established a series of baselines for the amount of fuel each type of ship burns for a certain cargo capacity. Ships built in the future will have to beat that baseline by a set amount, which will get progressively tougher over time.
By 2025, all new ships will be a massive 30% more energy efficient than those built in 2014.
Under the energy-efficiency regulations, existing ships now have to have an energy efficiency management plan in place, looking at things like improved voyage planning, cleaning the underwater parts of the ship and the propeller more often.
The energy-efficiency requirements were adopted as amendments to MARPOL Annex VI in 2011 and they entered into force on 1 January 2013.
EEDI and SEEMP
The regulations make mandatory the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) mandatory for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) is made a requirement for all ships.
In 2016, IMO adopted mandatory requirements for ships of 5,000 gross tonnage and above will have to collect consumption data for each type of fuel oil they use, as well as other, additional, specified data including proxies for transport work.
These ships account for approximately 85% of CO2 emissions from international shipping. The data collected will provide a firm basis on which future decisions on additional measures, over and above those already adopted by IMO, can be made.
Initial GHG strategy
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) has also approved a roadmap (2017 through to 2023) for developing a “Comprehensive IMO strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships”. An initial GHG strategy was adopted in 2018.
IMO continues to work on refining guidance and on the implementation of the regulations, through the MEPC.
GloMEEP Project
The GEF-UNDP-IMO Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnership (GloMEEP) Project, aims to build understanding and knowledge of technical and operational energy-efficiency measures to lead maritime transport into a low-carbon future.
The two-year project involves 10 lead pilot countries (Argentina, China, Georgia, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Philippines and South Africa) and aims to create global, regional and national partnerships to build the capacity to address maritime energy efficiency.
The first national workshop under the Project was held in December 2015. Funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Maritime Organization, the Global MTTC Network (GMN) – formally titled “Capacity Building for Climate Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry ” – initiative unites technology centres – Maritime Technologies Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) – in targeted regions into a global network.
Together, they are promoting technologies and operations to improve energy efficiency in the maritime sector and help navigate shipping into a low-carbon future.
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Source: Dredging and Ports
