The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has adopted the IMO Strategy for the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships 2023 at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80).
The strategy sets targets and guidelines to address harmful emissions from ships and work towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping by 2050.
The strategy includes an increased common ambition to reduce the carbon intensity of ships through improved energy efficiency design requirements for new ships. It also aims to reduce CO2 emissions per tonne of international shipping by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 2008 levels.
In addition, the strategy emphasises the need to increase the use of technologies, fuels and energy sources with zero or near-zero greenhouse gas emissions. By 2030, these sustainable alternatives should account for at least 5% of the energy used by international shipping, with a target of 10%.
Underlining the importance of the strategy, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said:
„The adoption of the 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy is a monumental development for IMO and opens a new chapter towards maritime decarbonization. At the same time, it is not the end goal, it is in many ways a starting point for the work that needs to intensify even more over the years and decades ahead of us. However, with the Revised Strategy that you have now agreed on, we have a clear direction, a common vision, and ambitious targets to guide us to deliver what the world expects from us.”
The strategy also recognises the importance of supporting developing countries, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), to ensure an inclusive transition to decarbonised shipping.
Photo credits @ IMO