The member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Friday adopted the IMO’s 2023 strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, with reinforced objectives to combat this scourge.
IMO’s revised GHG strategy includes a strengthened joint ambition to achieve net GHG emissions in international shipping by 2050.
The specialized UN agency, which oversees the highly polluting shipping industry, has also pledged to adopt alternative fuels with neutral emissions by 2030, while setting indicative checkpoints for 2030 and 2040. .
According to its Secretary General, Kitack Lim, the IMO’s adoption of the 2023 greenhouse gas strategy “is a monumental development for the Organization and opens a new chapter towards the decarbonisation of the maritime sector”.
Quoted in a statement, he said that with the revised strategy, the world now has “clear direction, a common vision and ambitious targets” for achieving the goal of carbon neutrality.
“Above all, it is particularly significant to have the unanimous support of all member states,” he said.
And to underline: “In this regard, I believe that we must pay more attention to supporting developing countries, in particular small island states and least developed countries, so that no one is left behind”.
This latest agreement comes at the end of a five-day meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80) at the IMO headquarters in London, before which several dozen campaigners called for greener freight to contribute to the fight against climate change and the protection of the oceans.
It should be noted that maritime transport is responsible for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions according to the United Nations, roughly the same level of emissions as aviation.