Shipping groups urge adoption of CO2 data collection before regulation

Bimco, ICS (International Chamber of Shipping), Intercargo, Intertanko, and World Shipping Council made a joint industry submission to IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 70) which meets from 24-28 October 2016 in London.

The shipping groups, which represent a unified response from the shipping industry, urged IMO member states to finalise the uptake of the proposed CO2 data collection system as a precursor to the consideration of possible next steps to address the sector’s CO2 emissions.

Such steps could build on the existing IMO mandatory agreement on technical and operationalo measures to reduce shipping’s CO2, which entered into force worldwide in 2013 – the first global agreement of its kind to be established outside of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The industry associations will be requesting MEPC 70 to agree to develop a roadmap which would include a timeline for the completion of finalising the adoption of the global CO2 data collection system.

The joint industry submission describes the work as determining a fair share contribution towards reducing the world’s total CO2 emissions, of which international shipping is currently responsible for about 2.2%.

The industry associations pointed out that the submission to MEPC 70 is intended to demonstrate that shipping is responding responsibly to global climate change, and that IMO is the only competent authority for addressing shipping’s CO2 emissions.