Marshall Islands Says IMO's Climate Position is a Danger to the Planet, Shipping, and World Trade

Foreign Minister Tony de Brum criticised the IMO for misunderstanding or even misusing the evidence around shipping and GHG emissions.

The Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands Wednesday released via email a scathing assessment of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in which it called the organisation's stance against a hard emissions cap on the shipping sector "a danger to the planet," the "shipping industry’s future prosperity," and the "future stability of world trade."

"Of great alarm is the Secretary-General’s misuse, or at least misunderstanding, of the evidence-base on shipping and its GHG pollution," said Foreign Minister Tony de Brum.

World leaders are expected to gather in Paris in December to finalise a global climate deal, with talks expected to address the possibility of an emissions cap on both the shipping and aviation sectors. 

"The proposed Paris Agreement must deliver the strongest possible directive to the IMO to move quickly and decisively to set such a target and to prioritise implementing all measures necessary to achieve this target," said de Brum.

"Let us not make the same mistake we did with nuclear bombs in addressing the issue of climate change, the greatest challenge of our generation."

The Marshall Islands had also made a submission to the IMO earlier this year to put in place global greenhouse gas emissions targets, a move that was heavily lauded by environmental groups such as Transport & Environment (T&E).

However, the proposal was subsequently shelved the following month.

"How extraordinary that after 18 years the very essentials of Kyoto are being disputed, and by the outgoing IMO Secretary-General, no less," said Bill Hemmings of T&E. 

"The Marshall Islands are right that Paris must intervene, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon must now see to that." 

Ship & Bunker reported earlier this month that IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu had released a statement calling for leaders to work out any shipping targeted policies under IMO leadership, in addition to advocating against the idea of a targeted emissions cap. 

Shortly after, it was reported that environmental groups had released rebuttals criticising the IMO for a lack of environmental leadership.