On 15 November SSI delivered a presentation at the 6th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 6) in London, during a slot sponsored by SSI member WWF.

Anthony Field of WWF, Katharine Palmer of Lloyd’s Register and SSI ED Andrew Stephens shared some of the key issues emerging throughout our inquiry on the role of biofuels in shipping’s decarbonisation. The session was an opportunity to obtain final feedback during the final stages of the inquiry before the report is launched in December at COP25.

SSI slide deck available here

The ISWG-GHG 6 meeting took place during 11-15 November, which proved to be a full week that saw IMO make progress in pushing forward their targets on reducing GHG emissions including agreement on the establishment of a dedicated workstream for the development of lifecycle GHG/carbon intensity guidelines for all relevant types of fuels:

Alternative fuels
“With a longer-term perspective, and in order to encourage the uptake of alternative low- and zero-carbon fuels in the shipping sector, the Working Group also agreed on the establishment of a dedicated workstream for the development of lifecycle GHG/carbon intensity guidelines for all relevant types of fuels. This could include, for example, biofuels, electro-/synthetic fuels such as hydrogen or ammonia, etc. Many participants to the meeting highlighted the importance of undertaking this work as soon as possible, in order to pave the way for the decarbonization of the shipping industry.”

The next ISWG-GHG session will be held on 23-27 March 2020, the week before the next meeting of IMO’s Marine Environment and Protection Committee (MEPC) which is expected to establish a Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. In October 2020 the MEPC is expected to receive the completed Fourth IMO GHG Study.

More on ISWG-GHG 6

More on SSI’s inquiry into the role of sustainable biofuels in shipping’s decarbonisation