IMO Tables Marshall Islands Proposal on CO2 Target

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided on Wednesday to postpone the discussion on the setting of a new global target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, proposed by the Marshall Islands.

The Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands, Tony de Brum, introduced the proposal yesterday saying that 2015 must be the year of action.

“We present our proposal so that global shipping can be a climate leader. I call on my colleagues here today to join us. With wind in our sails on the road to Paris, we must step forward together to take decisive action for our planet’s future,” Brum said.

“Regrettably the IMO decided today that business as usual is more important than agreeing that international shipping must make its fair contribution to combating climate change,” the European environmental lobby group Transport and Environment (T&E) said in a comment.

“Of even greater regret is that important European countries – not to mention the US, Australia and Japan – couldn’t even bring themselves to mention the word target. Once again its up to the UNFCCC meeting in Paris at the end of the year to make clear that global action on the climate requires all sectors to act. And the message for the EU is clear,” T&E said.

According to the group, Europe needs to move quickly now and build on its recently agreed ship emission monitoring regulation by introducing measures to require all ships calling at European ports to make their fair reduction contribution.

John Maggs, Senior Policy Advisor with Seas At Risk and President of the Clean Shipping Coalition, said: “Today the Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, and other small island Pacific states brought courage, clarity of purpose and the urgency of the climate change crisis to the IMO, perhaps for the first time. The failure of the IMO to grasp the significance of this moment and make an urgently needed step change in the pace of ship GHG emission reductions was shameful.”

T&E said that shipping emissions have increased by approximately 70% since 1990 and represented 2.7% of global CO2 emissions in 2012. Under current policies, the IMO’s 2014 GHG study forecasts shipping CO2 emissions to increase by 50% to 250% by 2050, which would then represent between 6% to 14% of total global emissions.

The 68th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) started on Monday in London and will run until May 15. It is expected to adopt the environmental provisions of the Polar Code. Other agenda items include: implementation of the ballast water management convention and energy-efficiency requirements and revisions to air pollution guidance and requirements.