Submission of the International Maritime Organization to the First Global Stocktake

SUBMISSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION TO THE FIRST
GLOBAL STOCKTAKE
1 The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized United Nations agency
and the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental
performance of international shipping.
2 In July 2023, IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its eightieth session
(MEPC 80), unanimously adopted resolution MEPC.377(80) on the 2023 IMO Strategy on
reduction of GHG emissions from ships enhancing IMO's contribution to global efforts by
addressing GHG emissions from international shipping, containing, inter alia, the following
elements:
.1 The vision of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy states that IMO remains
committed to reducing GHG emissions from international shipping and, as a
matter of urgency, aims to phase them out as soon as possible, while
promoting, in the context of this Strategy, a just and equitable transition.
.2 Enhanced levels of ambition include to reach at least 5%, striving for 10%,
of the energy used by international shipping to be zero or near-zero GHG
emission technologies, fuels and/or energy sources by 2030, and to reach
net-zero GHG emissions by or around, i.e., close to, 2050, taking into
account different national circumstances, whilst pursuing efforts towards
phasing them out as called for in the Vision consistent with the long-term
temperature goal set out in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement.
.3 New indicative checkpoints to reach net-zero GHG emissions are
identified as follows: reduce the total annual GHG emissions from
international shipping by at least 20%, striving for 30%, by 2030, and by at
least 70%, striving for 80%, by 2040, compared to 2008.
.4 The 2023 IMO GHG Strategy identifies that levels of ambition and indicative
checkpoints should take into account the well-to-wake GHG emissions of
marine fuels as addressed in the Guidelines on lifecycle GHG intensity of
marine fuels (LCA guidelines) developed by IMO with the overall objective of
reducing GHG emissions within the boundaries of the energy system of
international shipping and preventing a shift of emissions to other sectors.
.5 A basket of mid-term measures comprised of both a technical element (a
goal-based marine fuel standard regulating the phased reduction of the
marine fuel's GHG intensity) and an economic element (on the basis of a
maritime GHG emissions pricing mechanism) should be adopted following a
comprehensive impact assessment process in 2025 and enter into force in
2027 to deliver on the reduction targets. The mid-term measures should
effectively promote the energy transition of shipping and provide the world

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fleet a needed incentive while contributing to a level playing field and a just
and equitable transition. These impacts on States of the basket of measures
should be assessed and taken into account as appropriate before adoption
of the measure(s) in accordance with the Revised procedure for assessing
impacts on States of candidate measures.
.6 The decarbonization of shipping should be possible for all IMO Member
States and may create new opportunities also for developing countries,
including LDCs and SIDS, to take part in the value chain of the production
and distribution of zero and near-zero GHG emission fuels and/or energy
sources for international shipping.