The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has welcomed progress made by the IMO Marine Environment Committee (MEPC) this week (18-22 April) towards the adoption of a global CO2 data collection system, ICS said in its press release.
Once the amendment to the MARPOL Convention enters in force, all ships over 5,000 GT will be required to provide information on CO2 emissions via their flag states.
ICS says that once the system is adopted, IMO Member States will be in a better position to consider the development of additional CO2 reduction measures and respond to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
“Most of the details have been agreed, including the important fact that CO2 reporting will be mandatory. We are confident that the IMO system will be fully adopted at the next MEPC meeting in October” said ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe. “We believe that IMO Member States have agreed an acceptable compromise between governments primarily interested in data on fuel consumption and CO2 and those that wish to collect additional information.
In a separate submission to the MEPC meeting, ICS responded to the Paris Agreement on climate change with a radical proposal that IMO should develop an Intended IMO Determined Contribution for CO2 reduction on behalf of the sector. This would mirror the commitments or Intended National Determined Contributions (INDCs) which governments have made for their national economies, but from which international transport is currently excluded.
ICS says its proposal was well received by a number of IMO Member States and will be taken forward to the October meeting with other submissions made by governments and others with respect to how IMO should respond to the Paris Agreement.