Tag: UNFCCC

At the UNFCCC Climate Conference (COP 22), in Marrakesh, ICS said that the recent IMO agreement on a CO2 Road Map for shipping is a significant decision giving further impetus to the substantial CO2 reductions that are already being delivered by the global industry.

The Paris Climate Change Agreement enforcement was an unexpectedly rapid result that reflects the strong, common political will to shift as quickly as possible towards the low-carbon, resilient economies and societies which are the only way to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Agreed by 195 countries last December, the treaty commits governments to delivering regular carbon reduction plans and directing more funding towards low carbon sources of energy. In this article, Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary & Salaheddine Mezouar, President of COP22 say that November 4th is cause for celebration and reality check.

The UN’s top climate official has praised nations across the globe for acting swiftly to bring the landmark Paris Climate Change Agreement into force.

The UNFCCC has launched the "Business End of Climate Change" report putting a figure for the first time on what greenhouse gas emissions cuts could be achieved by business worldwide.

ICS has commented on the latest draft UNFCCC text which – although still not finalized – currently contains no explicit reference to international shipping (or aviation).

ICS says that mandatory regulations already adopted by IMO will ensure that all ships built after 2025 will be at least 30% more efficient than ships operating today. Combined with further technical and operational measures plus new technology, international shipping should be able to reduce its CO2 per tonne-kilometre by 50% before 2050

 The Marshall Islands foreign minister, Tony de Brum, has released via email his assessment on IMO's climate position calling IMO Secretary General a ''danger'' to theplanet.Mr Koji Sekimizu has stated that IMO is the only place where the debate over shipping and climate change calling to global leaders at COP21, which will be held in Paris on 7-8 December 2015, not to intervene. “In the process leading up to the Paris meeting, world leaders might be tempted to consider specific measures aimed at reducing shipping’s overall contribution of CO2 emissions, such as an overall cap. Such measures would artificially limit the ability of shipping to meet the demand created by the world economy, or would unbalance the level playing field that the shipping industry needs for efficient operation, and therefore must be avoided,”  Mr Sekimizu has said in his official statement.RMI’s Foreign Affairs Minister Tony de Brum expressed his concerns over IMO's head opinion in a statement as follows:''His call is not just a danger to the planet, but as the research points out, also to the shipping industry’s future prosperity, and therefore the future stability of world trade,” RMI’s Foreign Affairs Minister Tony de Brum said in a statement.“GHG pollution is a difficult issue for ...

 As world leaders prepare for key negotiations on climate change in Bonn and Paris later this year, IMO Secretary General Koji Sekimizu has issued a strong call for any discussion on shipping’s contribution to global CO2 emissions to be held at IMO.In a statement issued during a conference in Singapore, Sekimizu reiterated his view that IMO is the only place where the debate over shipping and climate change should be taken forward, given the huge impact the industry has on the global economy and its unique international structure.Mr Sekimizu stated:It is important to stress that IMO is, to date, the only international organization to have adopted global legislation to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from a particular industry. Nothing similar exists for any other industry or business sector. IMO has consistently and successfully, over time, explored new possibilities to improve upon existing technical, operational and management measures to reduce vessel-source air pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions. IMO continues to contribute to the global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the context of the climate change debate.In the process leading up to the Paris meeting, world leaders might be tempted to consider specific measures aimed at reducing shipping’s overall contribution of ...