The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is to consider accelerating its work programme on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships in order that its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) can bring forward its decision-making process on measures to control and reduce such emissions.
Speaking to the IMO Council today, Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos expressed his desire to expedite this work and said that he intended to present to the MEPC's next meeting (MEPC 57 in March/April 2008) a proposal by which this might be sought.
In particular, it is expected that certain key elements of IMO's revised greenhouse gas study and other parts of the work programme would now be ready in sufficient time for the MEPC to make decisions on this topic at its 58th session, in the Autumn of 2008.
Mr. Mitropoulos spoke of the increasing importance and urgency given by the international community to the control of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and of the globally expressed wish to act, and act now. He said that IMO and the international maritime community needed to demonstrate their determination to be in the front line of the global campaign to tackle this threat to the global climate without delay.
The MEPC is currently working in accordance with an approved work plan and timetable. In addition to the update of the 2000 IMO Study on GHG Emissions from Ships, the work includes development of a CO2 Emission Indexing Scheme, a CO2 emission baseline and technical, operational and market-based methods to achieve a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, all of which are currently planned to be finalized by July 2009. Secretary-General Mitropoulos's call for an acceleration of the work plan has been endorsed by the MEPC Chairman, Mr. Andreas Chrysostomou of Cyprus.
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