measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international maritime transport in the short term. The weakness of this compromise is that it does not provide effective punitive measures for ships that do not take the necessary corrective measures to reduce emissions. This complicates efforts to reach the 2030 emissions reduction target. The measures are due to be completed at the June meeting and will enter into force at the beginning of 2023.
The IMO aims to reduce CO2 emissions from international trade in relation to transport efficiency, ie to achieve a 40% improvement in carbon intensity by 2030. Finland, like other IMO member states, is committed to this goal and methods. must now be decided primarily to achieve it. In the next few years, the IMO is due to decide on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by at least 50% from 2008 levels by 2050.
The June session will decide on comprehensive emission reduction measures, with the priority being not only to improve the energy efficiency of ships but also to regulate their operational carbon intensity. According to the option favored by Finland, the carbon intensity of international maritime transport should decrease by at least another 22 per cent in 2019-2030 in order to ensure a reduction in carbon intensity by at least 40 per cent in 2008-2030. Finland has proposed an exemption for ice-strengthened vessels when operating in ice conditions. This would avoid placing an additional burden on Finland’s competitiveness due to winter navigation.
The meeting will also discuss tentatively market-based emission reduction measures. Finland supports the development and implementation of global market-based emission reduction activities as soon as possible. The idea now put forward by a few countries and the shipping industry to collect fuel levies in an international R&D fund could serve as a basis for a market-based measure. However, Finland considers that the measure must clearly guide the abandonment of fossil fuels in maritime transport through carbon pricing. Particular attention must be paid to the least developed countries and small island states in the distribution of the Fund’s resources.
The meeting will also discuss the impact on countries of greenhouse gas emissions, scrubbers, ballast water from ships, reduction of plastic waste from ships at sea and measures to reduce underwater noise. Many of the original agenda items have been postponed to the next meeting due to the shortening of meeting days due to the coronavirus pandemic and remote connections.
The Finns will be represented by representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of the Environment, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Government of the Province of Åland. On 6 May 2021, the Finnish government adopted a resolution which also contains some of the priorities for international influence that must be used at this meeting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.
What are the next steps?
The Committee for the Protection of the Marine Environment is due to decide on short-term action to reduce emissions at its June meeting. If an agreement is reached, work will continue on finalizing the detailed instructions for the regulation. Accession negotiations will continue on medium – and long – term emission reduction measures and the updating of the IMO greenhouse gas strategy before 2023.
If no consensus is reached or the outcome is insufficient to meet the emission reduction targets set by the IMO, the pressure for regional action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping will increase, both in Europe and elsewhere. The European Commission has announced its intention to expand EU emissions trading with shipping. The proposal is due on 14 July 2021 as part of the Commission’s Fit for 55 climate package. Detailed information on how to implement European maritime emissions trading has not yet been obtained.
Source: Ministry of Transport and Communications