This week IAPH is attending the 82nd meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC 82). The meeting will expand on discussions that took place at the ISWG-GHG 17 last week on how to move forward in developing the basket of candidate mid-term measures to help achieve the overarching goals of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy. In an effort to bridge the gaps in the remaining proposals, the Committee has been focusing on the outcomes of the Comprehensive Impact Assessment (CIA) of the measures. Specific attention went to the impact of a combined technical and economic measure on the global fleet and states. As part of a Global Fuel Standard (GFS) to regulate the greenhouse gas (GHG) fuel intensity of the global fleet, delegations are in general agreement of its potential to support the shipping industry in reaching the GHG reduction targets. However, proposals on the inclusion of a flexibility component, to ensure compliance of all vessels, still remain on the table in various forms; these need to be further streamlined to reach consensus. Delegations are also expected to build upon progress made towards adopting a global pricing mechanism, as well as address how revenues generated from such a mechanism could be distributed among Member States to ensure a just and equitable transition. On energy-efficiency measures, numerous Member States and international organisations have submitted additional proposals expressing concerns over the accurate and reliable evaluation of the Carbon Intensity Indicators (CII) as part of the short-term measures. To contribute to the upcoming review of the CII framework, IAPH has acknowledged the controversy in its submission, which provides an overview and justification for developing its own GHG performance indicators as part of its expansion and reformulation of the Environmental Ship Index (ESI), instead of aligning with the CII mechanism. This paper also draws on recommendations for the Committee to consider in moving forward with its review. Many of these topics will also be discussed during next week’s IAPH World Ports Conference in Hamburg, with IMO secretary general, Arsenio Dominguez attending to provide an opening keynote speech, together with other industry experts providing their perspectives on how ports and shipping can deliver on international policy objectives.
