One step closer to climate agreement for shipping

The Danish Maritime Authority informed that after two weeks’ intensive debate in the IMO, steps have been taken towards specific measures to reduce shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions, but there are still difficult negotiations ahead, in order to reach the necessary milestones.

​At the recently held session of the MEPC, agreement was reached about a number of main elements of the final climate strategy. Furthermore, negotiations on specific measures to reduce emissions from the shipping industry have begun and a working group established by MEPC has begun negotiations hereon.

Director General Andreas Nordseth from the Danish Maritime Authority noted that global solutions require long-time negotiations, so it is of great importance that even small steps towards global solutions are reached.

“I am pleased that the IMO has shown its capacity to act and is now engaged in the work developing a climate strategy for the shipping industry. We have been striving for progress and final outputs for a long time. Therefore, we are very pleased about this first specific step.”

“The road is still long, but it is an important step forward that the framework for a strategy is now in place.”

The IMO has, inter alia, made a rough list of specific measures which may form the basis of future work, and which includes a strengthening of existing requirements for ships’ energy efficiency as well as further research on the use of alternative fuels.

One of the main elements to be included in the work at an extraordinary meeting to be held in the IMO this October is the level of ambition for the initial strategy.

Mr. Andreas Nordseth concludes: “We, on the Danish side, will take an active part in future work, and we consider it of the utmost importance that regulations on shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions are global and flag neutral and, not least, that it is possible to implement and enforce them effectively.”