Ambassador Isola leads Nigeria's Delegates To IMO MEPC 80 In London ...Nigeria in sync with IMO commitment to tackle climate change challenges associated with shipping industry

ProwlingEagles

Jul 12, 2023 - 17:59

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Ambassador Isola leads Nigeria's Delegates To IMO MEPC 80 In London ...Nigeria in sync with IMO commitment to tackle climate change challenges associated with shipping industry

L-R: Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Nigerian Port Authority; Hon. Onari Brown; Nigeria’s Alternate Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO); Mr. Dirisu Abdulmumini; Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola and Director, Marine Environment Management, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Heaky Dimowo during IMO MEPC 80, in London.

By Adetokunbo FAKEYE

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola led other Nigerian delegates to participate at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) session, where Energy Efficiency of Ships, Ballast Water Management among other topical issues were reviewed.

Tackling Climate Change, Cutting GreenHouse Gas, GHG emissions from ships, including adoption of the revised IMO GHG Strategy was the focus at the just concluded 80th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee MEPC of the International Maritime Organisation that took place in London.

Nigeria joined IMO in 1962.

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) was held in person in London between 3rd - 7th July, 2023 with hybrid facilities allowing remote participation.

Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), numbering 175, meeting at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80), have adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, with enhanced targets to tackle harmful emissions.

The revised IMO GHG Strategy includes an enhanced common ambition to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping close to 2050, a commitment to ensure an uptake of alternative zero and near-zero GHG fuels by 2030, as well as indicative check-points for 2030 and 2040.

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at the session said: "The adoption of the 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy is a monumental development for IMO and opens a new chapter towards maritime decarbonization. At the same time, it is not the end goal, it is in many ways a starting point for the work that needs to intensify even more over the years and decades ahead of us. However, with the Revised Strategy that you have now agreed on, we have a clear direction, a common vision, and ambitious targets to guide us to deliver what the world expects from us.

"Above all, it is particularly meaningful, to have unanimous support from all Member States. In this regard, I believe that we have to pay more attention to support developing countries, in particular SIDS and LDCs, so that no one is left behind".

IMO is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for developing global standards for shipping and supporting countries to implement those rules.

At the meeting IMO MEPC agreed to designate the entire Mediterranean Sea as an emission control area, meaning that ships will - from 2025 - have to comply with more stringent controls on sulphur oxide emissions.

It adopted the IMO 2023 Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, with: Strengthened levels of ambition, including GHG emissions from international shipping to reach net-zero GHG emissions “close to” 2050; Indicative checkpoints to reduce by at least 20% (striving for 30%) by 2030; and by at least 70% (striving for 80%) by 2040, compared to 2008; Uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies, fuels and/or energy sources to represent at least 5% (striving for 10%) of the energy used by international shipping; Mid-term measures including technical and economical measures (still to be assessed and determined before adoption in 2025).

MEPC 80 also adopted Guidelines on life cycle GHG intensity of marine fuels (LCA Guidelines) (resolution MEPC.376(80)). Further work shall be done through ISWG GHG 16 in view of their operationalization (finalization of default emissions factors and fuel certification).