IMO’s Lim speaks out against including shipping in EU-ETS

International Maritime Organization Secretary General Kitack Lim cautioned that including shipping in the European Union’s Emission Trading System could undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping on a global basis.    Kitack Lim, the secretary-general of the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), has spoken out against plans on including shipping in the European Union’s Emission Trading System (EU-ETS), saying it could undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping on a global basis.
   His concerns echo those expressed by the International Chamber of Shipping last month.
   “A final decision to extend the EU-ETS to shipping emissions would not only be premature, but would seriously impact on the work of IMO to address GHG emissions from international shipping,” Limm said in a letter to European Parliament President Martin Schulz, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and European Council President Donald Tusk.
   The IMO said its own efforts to address greenhouse gases “have reached an advanced stage.” The IMO said a suite of technical and operational requirements for new and existing vessels entered into force in 2013, and in October 2016, it “adopted a system for collecting data on ships’ fuel-oil consumption, which will be mandatory and will apply globally.”
   “This will be the first in a three-step approach leading to an informed decision on whether any further measures are needed to enhance energy efficiency and address GHG emissions from international shipping,” the IMO said. “If so, policy options would then be considered.”
   The IMO also said it has “approved a ‘roadmap’ for developing a comprehensive strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships, which foresees an initial GHG strategy being adopted in 2018.” The IMO said these measures were approved by the IMO membership, which includes members of the EU.