European campaign groups Seas At Risk and Transport & Environment, both members of the Clean Shipping Coalition, have stated that they are “appalled at the complete lack of ambition shown by the IMO” during last week’s 74th Marine Environment Protection Committee (MPEC) meeting.
The companies believe that IMO delegates ignored the climate emergency and wasted two weeks with procedural and process issues. They report that there was little or no serious discussion on the merits of the various proposals for measures to deliver immediate emissions reductions before 2023, which have been submitted over the past 6 months.
As a result of the time-wasting, the next meeting will have to be far more proactive and ambitious, the companies stated.
“The sound of deckchairs being rearranged was deafening at IMO this week. Faced with demands for urgent action to tackle the climate emergency, the IMO became a parody of itself with those that never wanted shipping climate action in the first place ensuring little or no progress was made,” said John Maggs of Seas At Risk and president of the Clean Shipping Coalition.
Bill Hemmings, aviation and shipping director at Transport & Environment, commented: “Shipping is the only sector not subject to binding climate regulation and its remaining climate budget is fast being used up. Speed regulation is the most effective measure on the table, fortunately it will go forward for discussion at the next session. We have no time to lose, IMO procrastination must stop.”
The shipping sector emits approximately 3 per cent of the annual global CO2 emissions. Under a business-as-usual scenario, and if other sectors of the economy reduce emissions in line with Paris Agreement, shipping could represent some 10 per cent of global GHG emissions by 2050.
