IMO at COP 18

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In pursuing its mission – safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans – IMO works vigorously and consistently towards developing a comprehensive regulatory regime aimed at effectively protecting the environment from pollution by ships.
 
IMO was able to adopt, in 2011, a set of Energy Efficiency measures for internationally trading ships, which represents the first ever mandatory global GHG reduction regime for an entire industry sector. The adopted measures add to MARPOL Annex VI a new Chapter 4 entitled “Regulations on energy efficiency for ships”, making mandatory the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for new ships and the Ship Energy Efficiency Plan (SEEMP) for all ships.  The regulations apply to ships over 400 gross tonnage and above and will enter into force on 1 January 2013.
 
MEPC 63, in March 2012, adopted important guidelines aimed at supporting implementation of the mandatory measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions from international shipping, paving the way for the regulations on EEDI and SEEMP to be smoothly implemented by Administrations and industry upon their entry into force.
 
MEPC 63 also continued its discussion on Market-Based Measures for GHG emissions from international shipping, and MEPC 64, in October 2012, noting that uncertainty exists in the estimates and projections of emissions from international shipping, agreed on the need for an update study of the GHG emissions estimate to base its future decisions.  MEPC 64 endorsed, in principle, an outline for the update study with the methodology due to be considered by an Expert Workshop to be held at IMO in early 2013. 
 
It is against this backdrop that IMO will participate in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 18/CMP 8) in Doha, Qatar, starting on 26 November 2012.  An update of IMO’s work to address GHG emissions from international shipping in 2012 will be provided to the thirty-seventh session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 37) under agenda item 11(d) – Emissions from fuel used for international aviation and maritime transport.
 
IMO will provide information on its role as the international shipping regulator through an official submission, outreach activities, an IMO exhibition booth, at side events and through the UN system wide activities.  The IMO delegation will be headed by the Director of the Marine Environment Division, Mr. Stefan Micallef.
 

IMO’s objectives for COP 18/CMP 8

IMO’s main objectives for the Doha Conference (COP 18/CMP 8) are that:

  • IMO continues to be entrusted with the development and enactment of global regulations on the control of GHG emissions from ships engaged in international trade;
  • in all communications seek to make clear that international shipping regulations are currently applied to all ships according to the non-discriminatory principle on which the IMO regulatory framework is based; and
  • the interests of developing countries are fully taken into account, through IMO’s Technical Cooperation Programme and that impacts from any future market-based instrument for international shipping under the auspices of IMO would be assessed.