During the 77th Marine Protection Committee (MEPC77) session, IMO failed to revise its emissions reduction strategy for 2050, as further revision of the target will not take place until 2023.
To remind, MEPC77 session met virtually and in-person on November 22-26 to discuss the revision of the current GHG to align with the Paris Agreement’s goals as well as mid-term measures to reduce emissions.
Despite widespread support for keeping warming below 1.5 degrees and for ending ship climate emissions by 2050, the IMO made no progress to agree on the new goal.
In fact, IMO member states did not reach an agreement on revising the IMO’s current target and on committing to reducing shipping emissions to zero by 2050.
At the same time, they failed to show sufficient support for the proposed resolution for zero shipping emissions by 2050 put forward by the Marshall and Solomon Islands, despite the broad support for the target. Notably, the resolution would have gone through if EU countries had supported it.
What is more, IMO did not approve the voluntary measure against Arctic black carbon emissions, after Russia, China and other members, raised objections. According to sources, while there was a nearly unanimous support at MEPC 77 for a resolution urging ships in or near the Arctic to switch from heavy fuel oil to cleaner distillate fuels, Russia, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the International Chamber of Shipping said more emissions data was necessary, on different fuel types and engines before they could support such a resolution.
Concluding, during the meeting, IMO member states moved forward all proposals for mid-term measures to the ISWG-GHG 12 meeting in 2022. A clear preference was given to market-based measures, including a carbon levy, and to a fuel standard.
