IMO Expects No Delay to 2023 GHG Strategy Review

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday April 17, 2020

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) does not expect any delay to the review of its initial strategy on greenhouse gases in 2023, despite the current disruption of its scheduled meetings, according to price reporting agency Argus Media.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some disruption, the timetable for the GHG agenda has already been decided upon, Argus reported Thursday, citing an interview with Roel Hoenders, the IMO's acting head of air pollution and energy efficiency.

Environmental groups have asked the IMO to consider holding meetings in a digital-only format to keep its decarbonisation agenda on track after this month's meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee was postponed indefinitely.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the organization, in that meetings have been postponed and will need to be rescheduled," Argus cited Hoenders as saying.

"However, it is worth bearing in mind that the decisions on the levels of the GHG strategy have already been made.

"This allows for a revised GHG strategy to be adopted in 2023.

"It is worth pointing out here that the GHG strategy does not require decisions on regulations to wait until 2023.

"Measures can be discussed, agreed and approved and adopted any time before then."

Last month the IMO's former head of air pollution and energy efficiency, Edmund Hughes, told Ship & Bunker he expected no watering down of the GHG strategy in the run-up to the 2023 review.