Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), will lead a delegation from his organization at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, to outline the progress made towards achieving zero emissions in the shipping sector.
Taking place from November 11 to 22, 2024, COP29 will gather world leaders and approximately 40,000 delegates from governments, civil society, and the private sector to discuss strategies for addressing climate change.
According to the Hellenic Shipping News, the global maritime sector has committed to ambitious targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in alignment with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
As outlined in the IMO's Strategy 2023, the primary goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships, demonstrating the shipping sector's commitment to combating global warming and limiting the rise in global temperatures.
Updates on IMO’s Strategy
At COP29, Dominguez will share the latest developments regarding the implementation of the IMO strategy. This includes the ongoing negotiations aimed at establishing a new set of medium-term, economically and technically binding measures to decarbonize the maritime sector.
The IMO emphasizes that COP29 offers a crucial opportunity to highlight the importance of cooperation with the energy and financial sectors, as well as with cargo owners, given the critical role shipping plays in the global energy transition and as a facilitator of world trade.
In preparation for COP29, the IMO presented a report to the 61st session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 61), outlining the progress and actions taken thus far to support marine climate action.
The report discusses the outcomes of the 82nd session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 82), which occurred in September-October 2024.
Proposed Measures
During this meeting, the MEPC 82 advanced discussions on several proposed mid-term measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These include a global pricing mechanism for ships' emissions and a global marine fuel standard.
Member States identified areas of convergence, leading to the creation of a draft legal text titled “IMO’s Net Zero Framework.” This framework will serve as the foundation for the next phase of negotiations.
The Committee aims to adopt these mid-term measures by late 2025, with a target implementation date in 2027. The request will be submitted to SBSTA 61 by the IMO Secretariat.
Dominguez will participate in several events and bilateral meetings during the first week of COP29. The IMO Climate and Clean Air Team will also engage in various maritime transport-related activities throughout the conference.
Additionally, a joint side event organized by the IMO, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will take place on November 20 in Conference Room Side Event 6. The theme of this event is “Decarbonizing Transport: Policies and Strategies for Aviation, Maritime, and Land Transport.”
