IMO MEPC 81: What’s on the agenda?

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), amongst key agenda items, MEPC 81 is expected to discuss the implementation of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy. MEPC addresses environmental issues under IMO’s remit. This includes the control and prevention of ship-source pollution covered by the MARPOL treaty, including oil, chemicals carried in bulk, sewage, garbage and emissions from ships, including air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

Other matters covered include ballast water management, anti-fouling systems, ship recycling, pollution preparedness and response, and identification of special areas and particularly sensitive sea areas.

The MEPC 81 meeting is preceded by the 16th meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 16), from 11-15 March 2024.

Tackling climate change – cutting GHG emissions from ships

IMO has developed global regulations on energy efficiency for ships and continues to take concrete action to ensure that international shipping bears its fair share of responsibility in addressing climate change. MEPC 80 in July 2023 adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, with a goal of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by or around, i.e. close to, 2050.

Mid-term measures: fuel standard and pricing mechanism

The MEPC will continue to consider proposals on candidate mid-term measures, following discussion in the Intersessional GHG Working Group. The 2023 IMO GHG Strategy commits Member States to developing and adopting (in late 2025): a technical element, namely a goal-based marine fuel standard regulating the phased reduction of a marine fuel’s GHG intensity; and an economic element, on the basis of a maritime GHG emissions pricing mechanism.   

Proposals under consideration cover both these elements. The latest submissions related to the proposals will be discussed first in the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 16), which meets 11-15 March 2024.

The MEPC and intersessional group will receive a progress report from the Steering Committee on the conduct of the comprehensive impact assessment of the basket of candidate mid-term measure.

The impact assessment is a crucial element to support decision making on the mid‑term measures. The impact assessment, inter alia, considers the following areas: geographic remoteness of and connectivity to main markets; cargo value and type; transport dependency; transport costs; food security; disaster response; cost-effectiveness; and socio-economic progress and development.

A Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships will be established during MEPC 81.  

Revised greenhouse gas life cycle guidelines set for adoption

The report of the Correspondence Group on the Further Development of the LCA Framework will be considered. The MEPC is expected to adopt revised Guidelines on life cycle GHG intensity of marine fuels (LCA Guidelines).

The LCA guidelines allow for a Well-to-Wake calculation, including Well-to-Tank and Tank-to-Wake emission factors, of total GHG emissions related to the production and use of marine fuels. The updates include revised calculations for default emission factors; updated appendix 4 on template for well-to-tank default emission factor submission; and new appendix 5 template for Tank-to-Wake (TtW) emission factors.

The MEPC is expected to consider TtW (methane) CH4 and (ammonia slip) N2O emission factors and slip values and the need for continuous expert review of such values and emission factors, taking into account the report of the Correspondence Group.

Future work

The MEPC will develop draft terms of reference for further intersessional GHG work, ahead of MEPC 82 (30 September to 4 October 2024).

Energy Efficiency  

The MEPC is expected to consider a report on the fuel oil consumption data submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database (Reporting year: 2022); and the report on annual carbon intensity and efficiency of the existing fleet (Reporting years: 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022).

A Working Group on Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency will be established.

Tackling marine litter –reporting procedures for lost containers / carriage of plastic pellets by sea

• Mandatory reporting of lost containers

The MEPC will consider, with a view to adoption, draft amendments to MARPOL Protocol I, referencing a procedure for reporting lost freight containers. Containers lost overboard can be a serious hazard to navigation and safety at sea as well as to the marine environment.

The draft amendments to article V of Protocol I of the MARPOL Convention (Provisions concerning reports on incidents involving harmful substances) would add a new paragraph to say that “In case of the loss of freight container(s), the report required by article II (1) (b) shall be made in accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulations V/31 and V/32.”

Related draft SOLAS chapter V amendments are set to be adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 108), in May 2024, and will require the master of every ship involved in the loss of freight container(s) to communicate the particulars of such an incident to ships in the vicinity, to the nearest coastal State and to the flag State.

• Recommendations for the carriage of plastic pellets by sea in freight containers

The MEPC is expected to approve draft recommendations for the carriage of plastic pellets by sea in freight containers, agreed by the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 11). The recommendations address packaging; transport information; and stowage of plastic pellets.   

Ballast water management – implementation and Convention review

The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention), entered into force on 8 September 2017 and since then the focus is on its effective implementation.

The last MEPC session, MEPC 80, approved the Convention Review Plan (CRP) under the experience‑building phase associated with the BWM Convention, including the list of priority issues to be considered in the Convention review stage. This will guide the comprehensive review of the BWM Convention over the next two years and the corresponding development of a package of amendments to the Convention.

MEPC 81 is expected to consider:

• a list of provisions and instruments for revision and/or development under the Convention review stage of the experience‑building phase;

• interim guidance on the application of the BWM Convention to ships operating in challenging water quality;

• guidance on the temporary storage of treated sewage and grey water in ballast tanks and consequential amendments to the BWM Convention; and

• proposals regarding the approval of modifications to ballast water management systems with existing type approval.

BWM Convention amendments

MEPC 81 is expected to adopt amendments to regulations A-1 and B-2 of the BWM Convention concerning the use of electronic record books.

Proposals for Emission Control Areas

MEPC 81 will be invited to consider two proposals for the designation of Emission Control Areas (ECAs):

• Proposed ECA in Canadian Arctic Waters, for Nitrogen Oxides, Sulphur Oxides and Particulate Matter; and

• Proposed ECA in the Norwegian Sea for Nitrogen Oxide and Sulphur Oxides which includes a suggested “three dates criterion” consisting of building contract, keel laid and delivery date as part of the keel-laying date requirement in the proposed amendment to MARPOL Annex VI.

Implementation of the Hong Kong Convention

The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention) is set to enter into force on 26 June 2025. The Convention is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational life, do not pose any unnecessary risks to human health, safety and to the environment.

Article 12 of the Hong Kong Convention requires each Party to report to IMO, which is required to disseminate, as appropriate, information on, inter alia, ship recycling facilities, competent authorities, an annual list of ships flying the flag of that Party to which an International Ready for Recycling Certificate has been issued, and an annual list of ships recycled within the jurisdiction of that Party.

The MEPC is expected to consider draft reporting formats and the future development of a GISIS module, to provide electronic reporting facilities.   

The MEPC is also expected to discuss a submission highlighting a potential overlap in requirements between the Hong Kong and Basel Conventions.

Marine diesel engine replacing a steam system – draft MARPOL Annex VI amendments

The MEPC is expected to adopt draft amendments to regulation 13.2.2 of MARPOL Annex VI on a marine diesel engine replacing a steam system.

Underwater noise reduction 

The MEPC is expected to consider and endorse a draft Action plan for the reduction of underwater noise from commercial shipping, developed by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 10).

Working groups

The MEPC is expected to establish the following groups:

• Working Group on Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency;

• Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships;

• Drafting Group on Amendments to Mandatory Instruments;

• Technical Group on the Designation of PSSA and Special Areas; and

• Ballast Water Review Group.

MEPC 81 will be held in person, complemented by hybrid facilities allowing remote participation.