IBIA Outlines IMO "Roadmap" Strategy for GHG Reduction, Global Sulfur Cap Implementation Challenges

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday November 4, 2016

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has provided an outline of the strategy agreed to by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at last week's 70th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 70) that will see the development of "roadmap" intended to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as the challenges expected to be faced as a result of implementing the global 0.50 percent sulfur cap on marine fuel, set to be implemented in 2020.

"The roadmap is intimately linked with the three-step approach starting with the mandatory fuel consumption data collection system adopted by the 70th session of the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee on October 28," explains IBIA.

"Under the three-step approach, data collection is to be followed by data analysis (phase 2), forming the basis for policy decisions (phase 3)."

Earlier this week, Ship & Bunker reported that the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) had welcomed IMO's decision to develop the roadmap, and was disappointed at a number of environmental groups that were quick to voice criticism against it.

In terms of the 2020 implementation of the global 0.50 percent sulfur cap on marine fuel, IBIA explains that MEPC recognised that there are challenges related to the implementation phase, tasking the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) with developing a plan to smooth implementation based on a number of proposals.

Several member states at MEPC 70 are noted to have expressed a desire for a phased introduction of the new rule, an idea that has been proposed by IBIA.

The proposals to be considered by PPR will also include one from Norway, urging the establishment of a designated sampling point for verifying compliance.

IBIA notes that PPR will meet in January 2017 for its 4th session (PPR 4), with outcomes of the meeting to be considered at MEPC 71 in July 2017.