This paper discusses the issue of Impact Assessments required for measures proposed under the IMO’s Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships. It has been prepared to provide background information and analysis to Pacific high ambition delegations participating in ongoing negotiations at the International Maritime Organisation negotiating Greenhouse Gas  emission reductions for international shipping. At the same time, the content may be useful to inform other delegations and actors.

The issues surrounding Impact Assessments will arise throughout the 2022 IMO negotiating sessions. The IMO Secretariat has designated a ‘lessons learnt’ exercise, commencing with an Ad Hoc Experts Working Group prior to ISWG11. Pacific states are heavily invested in this issue.  Pacific SIDS will clearly be amongst the most heavily affected if abatement measures for shipping emissions generate negative impacts on states. At the same time, these states are pressing for the highest ambition measures possible to maintain a 1.5 agenda as quickly as possible.

It is important that delegations and negotiators are fully appraised on the origins of this discussion at IMO (and its more broader context) as the definitions applied this year will have far reaching consequences for the matters of prime concern to the Pacific, in particular the level of ambition and the definition of “equitable transition”.

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Posted on - 2023-10-09

A policy brief is now available on transport infrastructure emissions for the road and railway sectors.  Authors Greg Marsden, Kadambari Lokesh, Danielle Densley-Tingley have released a new work titled" Everything Counts" that quantifies emissions for both road and rail schemes and the importance of counting them in carbon budgets.   

Posted on - 2023-10-04

Researchers from the School of Naval Architecture, Dalian University of Technology, China Ship Design and Research Center Ltd have published a summary of WASP technologies amidst increasing momentum to reduce carbon emission at the forefront of international opinion and the subsequent changes in the shipping industry that can cause transformation of the entire industry chain, from ship design to maritime operations. Research team led by Yunlong Wang, have explained that WASP technology is an excellent option for shipowners to adapt to the transition. Numerous studies in academia and industry have quantified the technical potential for fuel savings from wind energy and have examined the impact of wind speed and direction, trade patterns, geographic regions, seasonal effects and route optimization. The results consistently show that WASP technology has a large potential to improve the energy efficiency of ships, save energy and reduce emissions.  Click here to read more

Posted on - 2023-09-11