World Shipping Council recommends improvements to IMO GHG strategy

The World Shipping Council has made three suggestions to IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and called for “swift progress” to decarbonise shipping.

PHOTO: IMO headquarters in London. Getty Images

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has submitted a paper to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) that identifies five key challenges to the IMO's initial greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategy and made three key recommendations to support rapid progress and ensure that regulations are effective in promoting the transition to alternative fuels and propulsion technologies.

“This is the time for open-minded discussions and a shared focus around what is needed for our climate and the sustainability of global supply chains,” WSC president chief executive John Butler said this week.

Key challenges to IMO's mitigation strategy:

1. Significant investments: WSC highlights the requirement of “significant investments in the production and supply of low, near-zero and zero GHG fuels” as one of the key challenges to the IMO’s mitigation strategy.
   
   “Our core challenge is to create the regulatory structure to drive development, production, and adoption of low and near-zero GHG fuels and technologies, coupled with the necessary investments in renewable energy production for an equitable transition.", said Butler.
   
   
2. Well-to-wake lifecycle assessment: The WSC suggests a well-to-wake lifecycle assessment (LCA) to prevent the use of fuels with low tank-to-wake emissions, while high life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions. 
   
   
3. Addressing issues of isolated economies: It identified a structure to effectively address issues facing isolated or developing countries.
   
   
4. Simplifying the process of implementing and verifying standards.

World Shipping Council’s recommendations to the IMO:

1. Modify GFS proposal to include fewer steps: For fuels that can achieve significant GHG reductions based on well-to-wake LCAs, the Global Fuel Standard (GFS) proposal should be modified to include fewer steps and to establish dates for each step based on projected fuel and technology production timelines.
   
   
2. Develop an IMO Green Corridor Programme: The WSC calls for the development of IMO Green Corridors Programme as a means of introducing new fuels and technologies into the shipping industry, and to ensure a more equitable transition in a structured and practical manner.
   
   “Building on existing initiatives, Green Corridors can be created to connect both developed and developing economies with the introduction of appropriate ships and fuel infrastructure serving specific routes with a graduated expansion”, Butler said.
   
   
3. Benchmarking approach: Finally, the paper suggests that the IMO should consider a benchmarking approach based on LCA-based GHG intensity metrics linked directly to GHG reduction goals, rather than a CII-based relative benchmark.
   

By Konica Bhatt

Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online