NGOs present emission reduction measures ahead of MEPC 81

In the pursuit of a sustainable and environmentally responsible maritime industry, the focus on tracking and measuring energy efficiency stands at the forefront of crucial initiatives. In particular, the NGOs urge MEPC 81 to take action in the following three key areas:

• Tracking and Measuring Energy Efficiency: Improving the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) will quantify and raise ship efficiency while fostering greater transparency and driving deep and lasting reductions in pollution.

• Global Fuel/Energy Standards: Clear, enforceable fuel/energy standards will catalyse the transition to clean energy. By incentivizing investment in wind power and zero-GHG fuels, these standards will reduce emissions and spur the creation of green jobs and resilient economies worldwide.

• Equitable Implementation of a Pollution Fee: Holding polluters accountable via a greenhouse gas emission levy, would ensure a just and equitable transition to clean shipping. The resulting revenue can be used to support vulnerable nations and ensure all can play a part in the energy transition.

The need for a clean and equitable transition in the shipping sector was underscored by industry leaders and advocates, highlighting the challenges of setting and implementing regulations.

Clean Shipping Coalition President John Maggs emphasized the urgency, pointing to the necessity of a greenhouse gas (GHG) levy on ship fuel, such as the $150 proposal from Pacific Island countries and Belize, to fund an impartial energy transition. Maggs stressed the importance of swiftly revising the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), implementing stringent new requirements to drive year-on-year improvements in ship energy efficiency and incentivize environmentally friendly shipping behaviors.

Delaine McCullough, former Shipping Emissions Policy Manager at Ocean Conservancy, underscored the need for binding policies that consider the impacts on climate-vulnerable countries, advocating for a $150/ton pollution fee to ensure an even-handed transition, support research and development, and avoid leaving any country behind.

Faig Abassov, former Director of Shipping at Transport and Environment, highlighted the crucial link between shipping’s climate transition and investments in green energy, calling for ambitious green fuel standards and carbon pricing to provide certainty for future suppliers.

Furthermore, Anais Rios, former Shipping Policy Officer at Seas At Risk, emphasized the importance of addressing not only decarbonization but also pressing issues like chemical spills and underwater noise pollution. By embracing wind power and implementing well-designed regulations, shipping could protect ocean health while decarbonizing. The discussion centered on the Carbon Intensity Indicator’s role, with a call for revisions and reliable enforcement mechanisms to achieve the emission reductions outlined in the revised greenhouse gas strategy.

Meanwhile, a paper submitted to MEPC 81 by the Clean Shipping Coalition, Pacific Environment and WWF, encourage the Committee to consider the need for the following when revising the CII:

1. Calibration of CII requirements to ensure that, at a minimum, the striving emission reductions specified in the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy for 2030 and 2040 are met, ideally aiming for ambitious targets that unequivocally place shipping on a 1.5°C compliant pathway.

2. Coherence with the GFS, emphasizing the use of a new CII metric exclusively focused on improving operational efficiency and reducing fuel burn, distinct from metrics applicable to alternative fuels (e.g., MJ/t-nm). This approach aligns with the GFS, which regulates fuels uptake.

3. Implementation of an effective enforcement mechanism to guarantee that emission reductions are both reliable and real, ensuring the accountability of the revised CII.

4. Incorporation of a long-term CII requirement that secures continuous improvements in operational efficiency, preventing any regression in gains made in this regard.

5. Emphasis on incentivizing and prioritizing the adoption of energy efficiency measures that yield significant benefits for the prevention and reduction of Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) and contribute to broader improvements in ocean health.