Image credit: International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)

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The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has welcomed developments at last week's 73rd Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 73) relating to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) action plan for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and the 2020 global sulphur cap.

Action Plan for GHG reduction

Discussing the GHG action programme, ICS chairman Esben Poulsson commented: "IMO ... made very good progress towards implementing the ambitious GHG reduction strategy agreed in April, adopting an Action Plan for the development of short-term measures that will deliver additional CO2 reductions before 2023, plus longer-term measures that will eventually achieve full decarbonisation of international shipping."

ICS said it was "particularly pleased" that IMO member states did not seek to revisit April's historic agreement or the CO2 reduction targets previously agreed, whilst Poulsson noted that he was "very pleased by the constructive role taken by China, whose proposals for organising future work formed a key part of the agreed IMO Action Plan".

"While no concrete decisions were taken on specific new CO2 reduction measures, ICS notes broad support for the industry's proposals for mandatory auditing of Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans - the 'Super SEEMP' - and further improvements to the Energy Efficiency Design Index for future ships," the ICS stated.

ICS explained that discussions on ideas such as publishing mandatory operational efficiency indicators or adopting mandatory speed limits (as opposed to speed optimisation measures) would continue at IMO next year, but stressed that they could potentially lead to "seriously distorting shipping markets and disrupting the efficiency of global trade".

Poulsson added: "With the Action Plan agreed by IMO this week, the way is now clear to make detailed proposals for specific CO2 reduction measures at the next MEPC in May. In co-operation with other industry associations ICS intends to come forward with detailed ideas, potentially including new and innovative measures for long term CO2 reduction and the development of zero CO2 fuels."

2020 global sulphur cap and carriage ban

ICS said it welcomes the adoption of guidelines on the implementation of the global 0.5 percent sulphur in fuel cap - including a template for implementation planning - and also welcomes the confirmation of the carriage ban of non-compliant fuel, which will take effect on March 1, 2020.

"The commitment of ICS to full implementation in 2020 is demonstrated by the guidance on preparing for compliance which ICS recently distributed to shipowners, which we tabled at the MEPC this week and was well received," Poulsson said.

"In view of the enormity of this major change it's likely there'll be some teething problems immediately before and after 1 January 2020. Many industry associations, including ICS, have raised legitimate concerns about fuel availability, safety and compatibility of new fuels - a particular problem for those in the tramp trades. But if shipowners can demonstrate in good faith that they've done everything possible to follow an implementation plan - in line with the template IMO has now adopted - we hope that common sense will prevail in the event that safe and compliant fuels are not immediately available everywhere," Poulsson added.

ICS also noted that there are still various issues that will need to be addressed "urgently" by the IMO - both at the next MEPC in May and by the Maritime Safety Committee in December - and referred to an already-submitted paper which calls on governments to better enforce fuel quality.