IMO moves to decarbonise maritime transport and approves the designation of a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area for cetaceans in the Mediterranean

80ème session du comité pour l'environnement marin à l'OMI. ©DR

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) met in London from 3 to 7 July for its 80th session.

A Monegasque delegation led by Armelle Roudaut-Lafon, the Principality’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the IMO, took part in the arduous discussions that led to a historical agreement in an organisation often judged as timid on maritime decarbonisation.  The Committee session concluded with the unanimous adoption by Member States of a revised strategy to reduce greenhouse gases caused by ships, notably by increasing CO2 emissions targets and by establishing the principle of pricing carbon emissions (to be defined).

The Committee also definitively approved the designation of a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea, a crucial step in the protection of cetaceans. Thanks to possible voluntary measures such as reducing the speed of ships, sufficient distancing, and reporting cetacean sightings, the risk of collisions by ships is expected to decrease significantly.

The approval closes intensive efforts underway since 2020 between France, Italy, Monaco and Spain through national and international consultations with decision-makers and the various relevant IMO bodies. Work will continue to enforce and ensure the efficiency of the associated protective measures in this sea area.