#IMO #MEPC #ocean #plastic #Arctic #shipping
#energy #climate
The 73rd session of the IMO's Marine Environmental Protection
Committee (MEPC 73) starts today until 26th October in the
headquarter of International Maritime Organization (IMO), London.
3 key issues identified most relevant to the interest of Association 3 Herissons:
1) Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships
In April 2018, the IMO adopted a plan to reduce climate polluting emissions from international shipping. The plan, that will be revised in 2023, calls upon the industry to reduce GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to the 2008 levels, while, at the same time, pursuing efforts towards phasing them out entirely. It's time for IMO to adopt concrete measures to meet that target, e.g. by accelerating newbuilt technical efficiency standards by five years, while at the same time reducing ship speed as an effective short-term measures to achieve the IMO's emissions reduction target.
2) Maritime plastic litter from shipping
In April 2018, the IMO decided to develop an action plan to address maritime plastic litter from ships and asked members & observers to provide ideas on its content. The secretariat was overwhelmed by the responses from state and observers, covering grey water, drifting Fish Aggregation Devices (dFADs) etc.
3) Ban on Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) in the Arctic
In April 2018, the IMO agreed to start developing measures to reduce the risk of use and carriage of HFO as fuel in Arctic waters. These include a possible ban, pending an assessment of its economic, environmental and social costs.
Association 3 Herisson looks forward to the good news! Add oil!