In Depth: Shipping’s Decarbonization Will Need Major R&D Investment

Following a lengthy process, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) member states finally agreed in April to require international shipping to decarbonize and at least halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The agreement includes strengthening design requirements for each ship type, a relative reduction of 40 percent in CO2 emissions by 2030, and at least 50 percent reduction by 2050, and subsequently a path toward a complete phase-out.

Although the members agreed on the goals, concerns were raised over the lack of any clear plan of action to deliver the emissions reductions.

Kirsi Tikka, Executive Vice President, Senior Maritime Advisor, at the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), in an interview with World Maritime News said that collaboration by all stakeholders as well as sufficient investment in technology development are needed.

“To meet the targets established in the initial IMO strategy for GHG reduction will require considerable development time and financial investment that may not deliver returns in the short term.”

Since the experiences of early adopters of technology in complying with environmental regulations have not always been positive, the industry “is unlikely to adopt new GHG reduction technologies until there is a full proof of functionality and ideally a cost/benefit analysis.”

Tikka continued that financing the R&D needed to deliver on the schedule established by the IMO strategy “will be a challenge for the industry – something of which the IMO is well aware.”

Ukraine asks IMO not to recognize illegal Russian actions in Black Sea near Crimea

Ukraine has appealed to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to not recognize Russian actions in Black Sea areas near Russia-annexed Crimea as legal, Ukraine's Embassy to the U.K. has said.

"Ukraine has called on the IMO not to recognize unilateral actions of Russia in Black Sea areas near Crimea and Sevastopol… Russia continues to violate international law and disregard authorities on issues of international maritime traffic in the region. Crimea is a part of Ukraine," the embassy said following the 105th session of the IMO's legal committee.

Diplomats said Ukraine's representative at the meeting called on IMO members not to recognize Russia's attempt to implement IMO conventions on temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine.

In its June 2017 statement at the Committee’s session the representative of Ukraine called on the Russian Federation to take all measures to prevent internationally wrongful acts in Ukraine’s search and rescue region as well as to provide appropriate assurances and guarantees that they will not repeat it in the future.

The delegation of Ukraine then also drew attention of IMO Member States to the fact that at the previous session of the Maritime Safety Committee it was decided to begin monitoring of the situation with the security and safety of navigation in the northern part of the Black Sea.