Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have adopted a revised strategy from Ships that aims at mac ambitions GHG emissions reduction targets.

Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have adopted a revised strategy from Ships that aims at ambitions GHG emissions reduction targets.

The revised IMO strategy includes an enhanced common ambition to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping close to 2050, a commitment to ensure an uptake of alternative zero and near-zero GHG fuels by 2030.

The new strategy also includes a series of interim targets, including a 20% reduction, “striving for 30%,” by 2030, and a 70% reduction, “striving for 80%” by 2040, from 2008 baseline. The strategy also set an ambition for at least 5%, “striving for 10%” of the energy used by international shipping to be zero or near-zero GHG emissions technologies, fuels or energy sources.

The strategy also calls for measures like continuing to review ship carbon intensity with the aim of strengthening the energy efficiency design requirements for ships to reduce CO2 emissions per transport work, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, compared to 2008 and 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.

The 2023 Strategy also sets out a timeline towards adoption of measures and adoption of the updated 2028 IMO GHG Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships.

These are significant improvements on the current strategy that aims for 40% reduction in emissions carbon intensity as an average across international shipping by 2030 from a 2008 baseline and a total reduction in absolute emissions by at least 50% by 2050, compared to 2008.

The Initial GHG Strategy also included a series of short-, mid- and long-term measures, building on already-adopted mandatory energy-efficiency requirements for ships. Examples are mandatory measures requiring all ships to calculate their Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and to establish their annual operational carbon intensity indicator (CII) and CII rating.