European Sea Ports Organisation welcomes a deadline for global solution on CO2 from shipping

The European Parliament and the Council have reached an agreement regarding the CO₂ emissions from shipping and agreed to align any EU action with the IMO timeline.

This compromise is a part of the first reading agreement on the review of the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) Directive. The agreed text wants the IMO to introduce an ambitious emission reduction target and accompanying measures by 2023. The agreement sets two milestones by saying that an IMO emission reduction target in 2018 as part of its initial strategy has become a matter of urgency and that action either at IMO or EU should start from 2023.

The agreement also introduces a regular screening of the process at IMO level. The Commission should report at least once a year to the European Parliament and the Council on any progress achieved. Moreover, the European legislators stress that the ambitious emission reduction objective at IMO level will have to be consistent with the well below 2°C objective agreed under the Paris Agreement.

ESPO’s Secretary General, Isabelle Ryckbost said: “We welcome the agreement between the Parliament and the Council. The IMO is by far the right place to introduce a target and measures for shipping emissions. We need global action but we need it on time. There is a sense of urgency in order for the sector to contribute to the Paris objective to keep the increase of global temperature well below two degrees. We believe that in that context five years for achieving an agreement at global level is more than enough. The regular reporting should also help the EU and its Member States to sound the alarm if insufficient progress is made.”

For more information visit www.espo.be

20th Nov 2017