EU Parliament: global solution on CO2 for maritime transport

February 16, 2017 - Today the European Parliament voted in favour of the inclusion of CO2 emissions from shipping in the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) and the establishment of a maritime climate fund “in the absence of progress at international level” as from 2023.

 Climate change being a global challenge and shipping being a global industry, ESPO strongly believes that IMO is by far the right place to introduce CO2 target and measures to reduce emissions from shipping in line with the Paris Agreement. In that respect, ESPO believes that the roadmap agreed at the IMO MEPC meeting last October is a starting point for the discussions.

 On the basis of available scientific evidence, the IMO needs to strengthen its efforts and submit an initial reduction target to the stock-take process of the Paris Agreement in 2018 accompanied by short-term measures. By 2023, IMO should introduce the necessary target and measures to bend down the CO2 emissions curve. ESPO believes that a 6-year period until EU measures are put in place, is sufficient time for the IMO to discuss and agree on the necessary target and measures.

2023 must therefore be seen as a milestone. In case this deadline is not met, EU measures will have to be introduced. It should however be clear that in case of an international agreement by 2023, the EU measures are to be repealed.