Cook Islands: Challenges of decarbonising shipping for SIDS must be considered carefully

From left to right: Capt. Ian Finley, IMO Representative   and Ms. Sandrina Thondoo, Director of Treaties, Multilateral & Oceans.

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), 82nd session, met in-person at IMO Headquarters in London from 30 September to 4 October. The MEPC meeting was preceded by the 17th meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 17), from 23 to 27 September 2024.

The Cook Islands delegation was led by Director for Treaties, Multilaterals and Oceans, Ms Sandrina Thondoo, who was supported by Cook Islands Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), H.E Captain Ian Finley.

MEPC 82 discussed a range of environmental matters, including proposed mid-term measures for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, enhancing energy efficiency of shipping, tackling marine litter, ballast water management and underwater noise reduction.

MEPC 82 made progress on the development of mid-term measures aimed at cutting down GHG to meet the ambitions set out in the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. These proposed regulations are scheduled for adoption in late 2025, building on previously adopted "short-term measures" for GHG reduction which focus on enhancing energy efficiency of ships. The mid-term measures under discussion include:

  • a technical element, i.e., a global marine fuel standard regulating the phased reduction of a marine fuel's GHG intensity; and
  • an economic element, i.e., a maritime GHG emissions pricing mechanism.

The discussions also covered the Draft IMO net-zero framework, that will support the implementation of the mid-term GHG reduction measures, the Comprehensive Impact Assessment, further development of the Life Cycle GHG Assessment (LCA) framework and the Fifth IMO GHG Study.

The next MEPC meeting (MEPC 83) is scheduled for 7 to 11 April 2025. Between now and the next session, Member States are expected to work to find further areas of convergence and refine the draft text with a view to approval of the amendments at MEPC 83 in April 2025 and adoption in October 2025. The Committee scheduled two following intersessional meetings in 2025 to focus on further development of the mid-term measures, one in February and one in April.

The Cook Islands remains committed to the tackling of climate change and advocating for the Pacific agreed position of keeping 1.5 degrees alive. As a country and region already at the forefront of the climate change impacts, the process of decarbonizing the maritime sector must imperatively be done without causing any additional undue burden to our economy and livelihoods. Like many other SIDS, LDCs and developing countries, shipping is our lifeline, without which our economies and communities cannot be sustained.

As a member state of the IMO since 2008, the Cook Islands supports the mandate of this Technical Specialised Organisation to ensure safe, secure, timely, cost effective, sustainable shipping to the world. It is therefore, with great concern that we note proposals identifying the maritime sector as a vehicle for raising considerable revenues for global climate finance; through a levy on shipping, a measure that could impact global trade and directly affect the sustainable development of our country. Such measures require careful consideration from all member states, in particular SIDS and LDCs and any decision to support them can only be done once a thorough understanding of their impacts on our socio-economic context is achieved. Large emitters must fulfil their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement directly from their own financial resources rather than shifting the financial burden onto developing nations, including SIDS and LDCs, through a tax on shipping, or as it is being called, a “levy on shipping.”

The Cook Islands looks forward to the next round of negotiations, in the hope of reaching consensus on a range of measures that will not further burden SIDS and LDCs.

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