Progress and challenges at IMO’s MEPC 82 meeting in London

Last week, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) convened for its 82nd session in London. While some notable progress was made, there remains significant potential for the IMO to further advance its efforts to protect ocean biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships. WWF’s Global Arctic Programme representatives attended this meeting as part of the WWF team. Here’s our take on key outcomes that are critical to driving sustainability in the shipping industry.

IMO welcomes and takes note of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

For mainstreaming biodiversity in international shipping, it is essential that the International Maritime Organization, the UN regulatory body governing over international shipping, connects its work to the goals and targets of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which includes ocean biodiversity. During MEPC 82, the connection between the IMO and the CBD was made explicit when the IMO’s Secretary formally welcomed and took note of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the CBD in December 2022. This included the Framework’s targets relevant to international shipping, such as conserving at least 30 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2030.

Underwater radiated noise

Last year, the IMO approved the revised guidelines for the reduction of underwater radiated noise from shipping to address adverse impacts on marine life. The guidelines are accompanied by a three-year experience-building phase, which is meant to encourage industry and state members’ participation.

WWF continued to lay the groundwork for future mandatory measures by bringing to the attention of member states the recent and unprecedented growth in Arctic shipping and the sensitivity of Arctic marine life to underwater noise. We called on Arctic states and the Arctic Council to be regional leaders in managing underwater noise pollution from ships, with the support of the IMO.

WWF also hosted a side event during the IMO Plenary, bringing together key voices from coastal Indigenous communities, regulatory bodies, and the shipping industry to discuss this pressing issue and explore collaborative solutions.

Above photo, from left to right: Sam Davin, WWF Canada; Joe Appiott, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity; Lisa Koperqualuk, Inuit Circumpolar Council; Gavin Alllright, International Windship Association.

Above photo: Lisa Koperqualuk, Vice Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, speaking on the impacts of underwater radiated noise on the livelihoods of Inuit coastal communities.

Air pollution and GHG emissions

The IMO has continued to look for ways forward on several interlinked issues that advance its decarbonization strategy adopted last year: reduce GHG emissions from shipping, and also tackle air pollution harmful to the environment and human health, such as black carbon.

To advance their greenhouse gas emissions strategy the IMO has to strengthen the energy efficiency measure, the Carbon Intensity Indicator ship efficiency standard (CII) that will enable the sector to achieve the goal of cutting emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. One of the proposed operational measures available to shipping operators immediately has co-benefits for biodiversity: reducing ship speed cuts emissions and also brings down the level of underwater noise.

Other proposed measures are a carbon levy and the Global Fuel Standard, as part of a framework to ensure the shipping industry meets the 2030 targets for emissions and for 5-10 per cent uptake of zero and near zero emission fuels, as well as the longer term reduction targets of 80 per cent reduction by 2040 as compared to 2008, and net zero by 2050. Member states agree that some kind of GHG fuel standard must be created, but there is less agreement on a universal pricing mechanism, such as a carbon levy. The main argument raised against the adoption of a levy or universal carbon price is the impact on transportation costs, including essential food commodities shipped to consumer markets of the less developed countries.

The IMO Secretariat had previously commissioned a Comprehensive Impact Assessment (CIA) of the proposed GHG basket measures, which was completed prior to this meeting. However, not all member states agreed on CIA findings and recommendations, and several questioned the feasibility of a universal carbon pricing mechanism such as a carbon levy to incentivize shipping operators to reduce emissions. Responding to concerns about the impacts of the proposed measures on food security, the MEPC agreed to further work on assessing the impacts on food security, including essential food commodities and critical agricultural inputs for net food importing developing countries.

During the MEPC plenary deliberations, growing support was expressed by member states for mandatory regulations on black carbon to reduce its harmful impact on Arctic snow, ice, and glaciers. However, the challenge to reach a consensus on banning highly polluting fuels, such as heavy fuel oil (HFO), will continue in upcoming IMO meetings. As an interim measure, WWF advocates for shipping operators in the Arctic to replace dirty residual fuels with cleaner distillate fuels, until a full ban on HFO is achieved.

Water pollution from scrubber discharges

There was no progress on the international regulation of water discharges from scrubbers – the exhaust gas cleaning system that turns air pollution into ocean pollution. The discussion was postponed until January 2025.

Ships worldwide will continue to dump acidic and toxic scrubber water into the ocean, and given that the Arctic marine environment is acidifying faster than the global average, this puts additional pressure on Arctic marine ecosystems, including important wildlife habitats.

Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in Arctic waters

The amendments to MAPRPOL Annex VI establishing the Canadian Arctic and the Norwegian Sea as Emission Control Areas were adopted. It is a big win for Indigenous and coastal communities, as there will be significantly less pollution coming from ships such as nitrogen, sulphur and particulate matter including black carbon harmful to human health and the environment.

WWF expresses support for the on-going collaborative work among IMO member states on considering the designation of another large emission control area in the North Atlantic, which would connect the Canadian and Norwegian ECAs, and would consequently make the largest emission control area in the world and in the Arctic. In addition, the US and Russian governments should follow Norway and Canada’s example and create Arctic ECAs in their territorial waters, so the entire Arctic coastal areas are embraced with a protection belt from shipping pollution.

Above photo: WWF IMO Delegation: a) in the Plenary. From left to right: Shay Burnett (WWF US), Sam Davin (WWF Canada) and Elena Tracy (WWF Global Arctic Programme); b) participating remotely: Melanie Lancaster (WWF Global Arctic Programme) and Mark Lutes (WWF Climate and Energy Practice).