IMO Continues Work on Regime to Control GHG Emissions

3 October 2008: The Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is meeting in London, UK, for its 58th session, from 6-10 October 2008. During the meeting, the Committee will continue its work on developing a mandatory regime to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping.

In this respect, the Committee will consider: phase 1 of the report of the updated IMO Study on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships, which has been completed by an international consortium of research institutes coordinated by MARINTEK of Norway; and the report of the first intersessional meeting of IMO’s Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships, held in Oslo, Norway (23-27 June 2008). To date, no mandatory GHG instrument for international shipping has been adopted. However, this issue is high on the Committee’s agenda and the IMO is currently working in accordance with a work plan, due to culminate in 2009 with the adoption of a binding instrument. The Organization is working to have measures in place to control GHG emissions from international shipping before the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2011. The Committee is also expected to decide whether GHG regulations should form part of an existing convention or whether a new instrument should be developed. [IMO Press Release]