IMO Details Emissions Efforts at COP21, Green Groups Not Impressed

The International Maritime Organization is trying to show the UN it is the right group to tackle greenhouse emissions in the shipping industry.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said that on Wednesday it was set to present a report on its "extensive efforts to address GHG emissions from shipping" at a side event at this week's 21st annual Conference of Parties (COP 21) in Paris.

IMO noted that it has adopted the only global legally-binding energy efficiency measures that will require ships built in 2025 to be 30 percent more energy efficient than those built last year.

The organization added that it will report on its work to support the implementation of these measures, particularly in developing countries, as part of a side event on international transport.

Discussions will also focus on the GloMEEP project to promote partnerships in maritime energy-efficiency technology, according to the organization.

However environmental groups were apparently unimpressed with IMOs message, with Transport & Environment (T&E) noting the Climate Action Network (CAN) had awarded the IMO - jointly with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) - its satirical "Fossil of the Day" award.

"These guys won the award today because, despite their emissions making up 6 percent of the entire earth's emissions - that's about the equivalent of Japan and Germany combined - they are weaselling their way out slowly of the Paris agreement," CAN said in a video posted on video sharing website YouTube.

T&E said IMO received the award as it had "failed to pledge any emissions cuts at the Paris climate conference."

Andrew Murphy, aviation and shipping officer at T&E, added: "Any deal in Paris must require ICAO and IMO to set emission reduction targets and measures for ships and planes, otherwise the efforts of all the parties to the Paris Agreement to meet the 2 degree target will be derailed.”

Last week T&E and fellow green group Seas at Risk called emissions from shipping, along with aviation, the "elephant in the COP21 negotiations room."