MEPC 83 outcomes: responding to climate change

Leading industry experts, including specialists of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), voiced the position of the national delegation.

The Committee’s work centered on enhancing MARPOL Annex VI to strengthen operational carbon intensity measures, alongside formulating new requirements in line with the IMO’s 2023 Strategy to reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions fr om ships.

With the support of 63 delegations voting in favor the Committee:

• approved amendments to MARPOL Annex VI clarifying procedures for handling fuel consumption data and specifying access conditions for administrations and recognized organizations;
• adopted amendments to multiple IMO Guidelines, including a recommendation to implement annual operational carbon intensity reduction factors of 2.625% for 2027-2030;
• gave preliminary approval to mid-term GHG reduction measures: a new chapter of MARPOL Annex VI with a global fuel standard setting emission content limits for ship fuels and annual tightening of requirements, as well as a tiered market mechanism. The latter involves mandatory financial contributions by ships that do not meet the global fuel standard and rewards to ships using zero or near-zero fuels.

“The significance - and inherent complexity - of the proposed amendments was evident in the lack of unanimous endorsement. The Committee resorted to an open roll-call vote, wh ere 16 nations including the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, and other OPEC members opposed the measures, citing excessively stringent and impractical decarbonization targets. Approximately 20 small island developing states abstained, expressing concerns that the future requirements lacked sufficient climate ambition.

Equally significant was the U.S. delegation's withdrawal from both the MEPC negotiations and MARPOL amendment discussions. The States declared the proposed market mechanisms – particularly financial levies on hydrocarbon fuel use – unacceptable, warning of retaliatory measures should such charges be applied to U.S.-flagged vessels”.

The format and content of future MARPOL requirements are still to be clarified. IMO is planning to develop an additional set of recommendatory guidelines that will outline implementation procedures and establish uniform calculation approaches.

Member States have six months to review amendments approved by the MEPC 83 and submit formal comments, objections or express consent at the extraordinary session in October 2024 aiming to adopting the amendments, targeting March 1, 2027 entry into force.

While the newly approved requirements remain framework-based and require further elaboration, they will undoubtedly reshape the maritime fuel landscape, fundamentally altering both production and consumption patterns across global shipping.

Detailed results of the MEPC 83 can be found under the section "International Activity" - "Results of sessions of the IMO bodies" on the official RS website.