Industry to join forces on decarbonisation at COP23

A group of international shipping industry leaders will join forces at the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November, to drive industry action on decarbonisation.

Despite Paris Agreement, developed during COP21 at UNFCCC in 2015, and despite regulatory action provoked at IMO MEPC, many in the industry do not believe that sufficient action is being taken at a fast-enough pace to meet the urgency of the challenge.

Therefore, the ‘Ambition 1.5oC: Global Shipping’s Action Plan’ summit at COP23 will gather 150-200 industry representatives and UNFCCC delegates to take action and create an Action Plan for the decarbonisation of the shipping industry. The summit will take place on 13 November 2017, in Bonn, onboard the RheinFantasie river vessel.

Work undertaken to develop the Action Plan and strategies held within will consider all active industry environmental work streams and initiatives. The group will use the reviewed and accelerated ‘pathway’ developed by the Sustainable Shipping Initiative as a framework for the Action Plan.

The summit has been officially endorsed by a jury consisting of the UNFCCC partners; the incoming Fijian Presidency of COP23, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety and the City of Bonn and is an official Climate Partner for COP23.

Following the summit, a briefing document will be delivered to delegates and all relevant national policy makers providing a summary of the main challenges and opportunities of shipping industry decarbonisation, the high ambition approaches agreed at the summit and a copy of the draft Action Plan created.

An official press conference will also be held at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety on 15 November 2017.

Co-organisers of ‘Ambition 1.5oC Global Shipping’s Action Plan’ include:

• Lloyd’s Register,
• MAN Diesel & Turbo
• RightShip
• MARIKO
• Danish Shipping
• International Windship Association (IWSA)
• Green Ship of the Future

The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) and Carbon War Room are acting as advisors. The official event organisers are The Blue Green Events Company, Mantour Consultancy and Smart Green Shipping Alliance (SGSA).