The Nautical Institute at the IMO - Greenhouse gas reduction

The eighteenth meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 18) was held last week at the IMO.

This session of ISWG-GHG 18 debated many proposed refinements of the planned amendments to MARPOL Annex VI. The discussions focused on advancing the IMO's 2023 GHG Reduction Strategy, which commits Member States to adopting mid-term GreenHouse Gas reduction measures by late 2025. Such measures include a goal-based marine fuel standard to reduce GHG intensity and a maritime GHG emissions pricing mechanism.

The many draft amendments, based on the “IMO net-zero framework” from MEPC 82, incorporate inputs from Member States, International Organisations and non-Governmental Organisations.

Topics covered included marine fuel intensity, the economic mechanism, the ‘IMO Net-Zero Fund,’ revenue distribution, and food security impacts. The group agreed to keep proposals for the pricing mechanism under review and acknowledged potential “bridging options.” The goal remains the finalization of amendments for consensus approval at MEPC 83 in April 2025 - further discussions are scheduled for ISWG-GHG 19 in early April 2025 ahead of MEPC 83.