MEPC 80 Highlights

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), at its 80ᵗʰ session, made the following decisions to further reduce GHG emissions from international shipping.

1. Adoption of the 2023 Strategy on Reduction of GHG emissions from ships (Res.MEPC.377(80))

1) Additional ambitions for 2030

- Accelerating the 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 by 2030.

2) Addition of indicative checkpoints for 2030 and 2040

- Reduction of the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 20%, striving for 30%, by 2030 and at least 70%, striving for 80% by 2040, compared to 2008

3) GHG emissions from international shipping reach net-zero

- To peak GHG emissions from international shipping as soon as possible and to reach net-zero GHG emissions by or around, i.e. close to 2050, taking into account different national circumstances, whilst pursuing efforts towards phasing them out as called for in the Vision consistent with the long-term temperature goal set out in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement.

2. Selection of Mid-term measures for further reducing GHG emissions from international shipping

1) A basket of measures combining technical and economic elements

- [Technical element] Agreed to select "GHG Fuel Standard" which is a goal-based fuel standard as a technical element.

- [Economic element] Reaffirming the conflicting views in favor of and against universal GHG levy.

- Agreed to further consider the review of the economic elements proposed so far and details on raising and disbursement of revenues by technical and economic elements under the phase III (Development of measures to be finalized within agreed target date) of the work plan for development of mid- and long-term measures as a follow-up action of the initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships approved by MEPC 76.

2) Establishment of a timeline for the development of candidate mid-term measures and associated comprehensive impact assessment, as follows:

- ① MEPC 80 (July 2023): Initiation of Comprehensive impact assessment of the basket of candidate midterm measures;

- ② MEPC 81 (April 2024): Finalization of development of the basket of candidate mid-term measures;

- ③ MEPC 82 (October 2024): Finalization of comprehensive impact assessment of the basket of candidate mid-term measures;

- ④ MEPC 83 (April 2025): Approval of the MARPOL amendments for implementing the basket of candidate mid-term measures;

- ⑤ Extraordinary session of MEPC: Adoption of measures (6 months after MEPC 83); and

- ⑥ 16 months after adoption (May 2027): Entry into force of the measures

3. Approval of the draft Guidelines on Life Cycle GHG Intensity of Marine Fuels (Res.MEPC.376(80))

1) These Guidelines provide guidance on assessment of life cycle GHG intensity assessment for all fuels and other energy carriers (e.g. electricity) used on-board a ship, and aim at estimating GHG emissions for whole fuel life cycle from feedstock extraction/cultivation/recovery, feedstock conversion to a fuel product, transportation as well as distribution/bunkering, and fuel utilization on-board a ship.

2) The guidelines provide calculation methods to address Well-to-Tank (WtT), Tank-to-Wake (TtW), and Well-to-Wake (WtW) GHG intensity related to marine fuels/energy carriers used for ship propulsion and power generation onboard, as well as default GHG emission values for various marine fuels, and its corresponding sustainability criteria which is to be assessed considering particular aspects on a life cycle basis such as GHG, carbon source, source of electricity/energy, DLUC and ILUC, etc.

3) While it is noted that future life cycle GHG emissions from international shipping can be estimated based on the default GHG emission values for various marine fuels provided in these guidelines, actual emission factors of various marine fuels according to the production pathway can also be facilitated in lieu of the default GHG emission values as far as those are properly assessed and certified.