London: Delegates from 70 member state countries of the International Maritime Organisation convene in London today for the 60th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).
A climate meeting in Copenhagen in December, the 15th under a UN process (COP 15), delivered little in a drive to agree a replacement to the existing Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which excludes shipping and aviation.
The MEPC will consider whether to approve a proposal submitted by Japan, Norway and the United States for technical and operational measures aimed at reducing CO2 in ships.
These include an energy efficiency index to ensure the design of new vessels are environmentally friendly as well as fuel-efficient best practices for existing and new ships.
If the proposal is approved, it would then be tabled for adoption at the next MEPC meeting in October when there needs to be a 16-month period for it to come into force with early 2012 a likely timeframe.
At any point if a third of countries object, it cannot come into force. [22/03/10]
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