On Friday 13 April, during the 72nd session of the marine environment protection committee (MEPC 72), several European officials described the agreement reached that day on fixing a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the international maritime transport sector by at least 50% by 2050 compared with 2008 as a “first promising step forward”.
The agreement reached is a “significant step forward” in international efforts to combat climate change, said Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Commissioner for Climate Action Miguel Arias Cañete in a joint press release.
The European Union was, however, seeking a higher level of ambition, i.e. a 70% reduction in emissions with efforts tending towards the 100% mark by 2050 (see EUROPE 11997).
The two commissioners, inspired by the list of specific actions decided at the MEPC 72 committee, also expressed the hope that concrete measures would be taken “before 2023”. In addition, work on measures for reducing emissions in the longer term should begin without delay.
A delegation of MEPs, who were in London during the MEPC 72, hailed the IMO agreement. “But no action plan for immediate measures was taken”, deplored its co-chairman, José Inacio Faria (EPP, Portugal), in a press release. He went on to add: “What is at stake is to reach the Paris agreement objectives at the fastest pace possible”.
On Monday 16 April, the Commission published a report on application of the directive (2016/802) aimed at reducing maximum sulphur content in marine diesel (see EUROPE 10720). The report notes in particular that, since 2015, emissions of sulphur dioxide in the North Sea and Baltic Sea have dropped by over 50% without a negative global impact being observed on the economic activity of maritime transport.
For further information: https://bit.ly/2vioOMN (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)