“Time finally ran out to agree a compromise on international transport acceptable to all nations, but nothing is really lost,” said Peter Hinchliffe, secretary general, who has been lobbying for IMO to be left as the sole governing body for shipping’s emissions. “No text is probably preferable to some of the well intentioned words being proposed at the very end of the Conference which few people understood and which could have actually greatly complicated further progress at IMO.”
The news came despite opposition from Maersk, one of the world’s largest shipowners, which was later joined unexpectedly by the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) in calling for shipping’s inclusion in the document.
“The Member States at IMO are the same nations that were present in Paris, but with officials that have a deep level of maritime expertise,” said Hinchliffe. “Intensive work at IMO will continue with the global shipping industry’s full support.”
Hinchliffe said that “Unilateral or regional regulation” would have been “disastrous for shipping and disastrous for global CO2 reduction, whereas IMO is already helping shipping to deliver substantial CO2 reductions on a global basis.” ICS said that shipping’s exclusion represented a “clear message” from the world’s governments that the IMO is a capable regulator of ship emissions.
ICS once-again highlighted its expectation of a 50% reduction in CO2 per tonne-km by 2050 compared with 2007. The group maintains that a 20% reduction has already realised since 2005.
“CO2 is a global problem and shipping is a global industry,” said Hinchliffe. “IMO is the only forum which can take account of the UN principle of ‘differentiation’ while requiring all ships to apply the same CO2 reduction measures, regardless of their flag State.
“I am sure IMO Member States will now proceed with new momentum to help the industry deliver ever greater CO2 reductions, as the world moves towards total decarbonisation by the end of the Century,” said Hinchliffe.
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