The International Maritime Organization’s greenhouse gas working group meeting in London this week has been given added impetus following the publication of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) synthesis report, providing a top line overview of findings from the world’s leading climate scientists.
Limiting warming to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C requires rapid and deep, and immediate greenhouse gas emissions reduction in all sectors this decade, the IPCC report stressed, adding that current global climate policies would lead to 2.7°C or more warming by 2100.
The IPCC suggested shipping ought to adopt sustainable biofuels and hydrogen as fast as possible, conceding that this would require production process improvements and cost reductions.
The IMO working group helps set the agenda for the forthcoming Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) gathering at IMO’s headquarters in the UK capital.
IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim opened proceedings yesterday, saying, “2023 is IMO’s year of decisive climate action. The time to act is now.”
The US, Canada, the UK, and a number of Pacific countries are proposing to the IMO to cut emissions by 37% by 2030 and by 96% by 2040, in line with a science-based pathway for the industry, to keep the 1.5°C target within reach. A total of 34 governments also support an absolute shipping emission reduction by 2050.
Splash will be bringing readers regular reports from MEPC which is set to run from July 3 to 7.
