NGOs Criticize IMO for Opposing EU Carbon Plan

The Clean Shipping Coalition, an international group of environmental NGOs, issued a statement Wednesday criticizing IMO's position on EU measures to regulate shipping's CO2 emissions.

"There is nothing that says action can only take place at IMO and indeed it would be counterproductive to concentrate only on the development of IMO measures, when processes there are often subject to delay," said CSC president John Maggs. "The IMO’s criticism of EU action is unfortunate and we call on Secretary-General [Kitack Lim] to take stock and press IMO members to urgently agree targets and measures at a global level.”

"We are not aware of Mr. Lim writing to those countries and industry bodies that have consistently been blocking progress on ship [CO2] emissions at IMO for years; it appears as if he is siding with them now," said Faig Abbasov, a spokesperson for coalition member Transport & Environment.

Lim recently criticized a decision by the Environment Committee of the European Parliament to include shipping in the EU's Emissions Trading System if IMO does not reach a final CO2 agreement by 2021. “I am concerned that a final decision to extend the E.U. emissions trading system to shipping emissions would not only be premature but would seriously impact on the work of IMO to address greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping,” said Lim. “Inclusion of emissions from ships in the E.U. emissions trading system significantly risks undermining efforts on a global level.”

IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee voted in October to postpone a final agreement on CO2 emissions until at least 2023, indicating that IMO would meet the EU Parliament's requirements at least two years after the deadline. The MEPC’s decision, described by IMO as an advanced stage of negotiations and a useful road map for future progress, was widely panned by environmental groups.