As the mitigation work programme continues to struggle within the UNFCCC, work is progressing on the decarbonization of a significant, but often overlooked, global polluter: international shipping. The International Maritime Organization, the UN’s London-based shipping regulator, adopted a GHG Strategy last year that sets clear reduction targets for 2030, 2040 and 2050, together with a commitment to a “just and equitable transition”. The challenge is now to design the regulations to deliver on these commitments.
This weekend, IMO negotiators will convene informally in Bonn at the German Transport Ministry. ECO will be keeping an eye on these discussions, including the extent to which they involve and elevate the voices of those with most at stake in the outcome: SIDS and LDCs, who are both heavily dependent on international shipping and most vulnerable to climate impacts – including from emissions from ships.