IMO makes all meetings virtual through to the end of the year, crucial MEPC set for November 16

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will hold all its meetings virtually through to the end of the year including the all-important 75th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), a gathering that will attempt to thrash out short-term measures to ensure shipping slashes its carbon footprint.

MEPC, postponed in March because of Covid-19, will now take place remotely from November 16 to 20.

The IMO is under pressure to come up with significant environmental measures as politicians in the European Union have recently outlined their own plans to crack down on shipping’s emissions.

Documents sent to the IMO by member states suggest Covid-19 restrictions will likely mean that actual gatherings at the organisation’s London headquarters are unlikely through to the second quarter of next year at the earliest.