As a specialized agency of the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.
During the 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80), the IMO’s Revised GHG strategy was adopted, read more about the revised strategy and Ipieca’s input here.
The Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 18) met for its 18th meeting from 17 to 21 February 2025. The ISWG-GHG is a technical working group which feeds into the MEPC’s work on reducing GHG emissions from shipping. This meeting included discussions around:
- Candidate mid-term GHG reduction measures (the IMO Revised GHG strategy includes candidate measures which comprise: a technical element related to reducing fuel emissions and an economic element related to GHG emissions pricing mechanisms)
- Impact of mid-term measures on food security (as maritime shipping is responsible for ~80% of global trade, changes in shipping costs can impact food prices and accessibility)
- Life cycle GHG assessment
Ipieca delegates participated in discussions around the mid-term GHG measures and life cycle GHG assessment. Ipieca submitted industry technical feedback in a submission to the IMO on Considerations related to the production, distribution and bunkering of future marine fuels required to enable delivery of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy, with a submission co-sponsored by Ipieca, the International Bunker Industry Association, and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum, with support from the Canadian Fuels Association. This submission was also discussed during a side-event.
Ipieca also provided technical input on a range of other topics and co-sponsored a paper on a Proposal for an IMO sustainable fuels certification framework in the context of the IMO LCA guidelines and the IMO net-zero framework.
You can read more around the meeting discussion here.
The next meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 19) will be held 31 March and 1 April 2025, ahead of MEPC 83. Ipieca will continue to support the IMO’s work to decarbonise the maritime industry, providing technical expertise and industry guidance.
