LONDON: A new strategy is anticipated to set global shipping on an ambitious road towards gradually decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, leading United Nations officials stated at the inaugural session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) on Monday in London.
In a video message played at the commencement of the most recent MPEC meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared that “humanity is in dangerous waters on climate.” “Science tells us that we can still keep the increase in global temperature to 1.5 °C, but it will take a massive global effort, and shipping, which contributes almost 3% of all emissions, will be essential.”
He asked the Committee members to agree on a course of action, saying that the decisions “you make over the next few days could help us chart a safer course.” The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) covers the control and prevention of ship-source pollution, including oil, chemicals transported in bulk, sewage, garbage, and such emissions from ships as air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. The Committee is tasked with addressing these issues under the purview of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The Committee will likely establish a greenhouse gas emissions plan in response to climate change and risks to biodiversity after talks with IMO when it meets from July 3 to July 7 to evaluate ongoing efforts. IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim urged States to support the implementation of the new plan by setting ambitious goals that will put shipping on a “clear trajectory” to phase out greenhouse gas emissions. “This is a historical moment in which all of you have a role to play,” Lim said.
He stated that your legacy, which your children and grandkids will appreciate, will be the 2023 strategy. “Now is the time for IMO to show that it is a global leader.” The updated plan is anticipated to lay out the course for potential technical and financial measures that the IMO will further explore.
He recalled that nearly two decades of discussion had resulted in the historic Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), adopted at the UN headquarters on June 19, 2023, underscoring the significance of tangible legal measures to safeguard biodiversity.
He stated: “Undoubtedly, your Committee’s efforts to ensure a greener, more equitable, and more sustainable maritime future are of greater importance than ever before.” He referred to the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework for Biodiversity, adopted last December, and ongoing negotiations for a new legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution.
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